Mermaid Motel
by Sakura2cute4u
Summary: He first saw her dancing in a club where his girlfriend was singing and she somehow mesmerized him, making him want her, need her. But Sakura Haruno isn't that easy to impress, especially when you're the emotionless Sasuke Uchiha."Be my private dancer."
1. Chapter 1

**Hello there. First, I would like to say that the plot for this story came in my mind after listening to the song the story's named after and the movie 'Burlesque'. Second, I apologize to my readers who have been waiting, some even for months, for me to update the other stories, but right now, I have a writer's block. Anyway, I really hope you will enjoy reading this story because I know I will enjoy writing it ^^.**

**Disclaimer- I don't own anything, only the plot.**

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** Mermaid Motel**

**~Chapter 1~**

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She couldn't believe it. She was going to be late on her first day of work. God, her boss was going to be so mad. She could imagine her fuming and ripping her contract into tiny pieces, saying she will make sure her ex-employee isn't going to get hired in any other club. But it wasn't her fault she was going to be late. The traffic was moving unbelievably slow. She decided to hunk one more time, hoping for some kind of miracle. But it wasn't getting her anywhere. It was only driving her mad. Finally, she found the perfect job, dancing in the most exquisite and exclusive lounge club in the city, but for what? She was going to be late and probably fired on her first day. The watch on her wrist told her that she still had 20 minutes before the red curtain was up. However, with traffic like this, she will reach her destination the next day. And above that, she still needed to do her make-up and hair, which in her particular case, were done in 40 minutes due to the fact that her hair was reaching her waist and was really difficult to work with. You tried curling it, it turned straight after only half an hour.

"Shit." she cursed as her grip on the steering wheel tightened. She looked out the side window, droplets sliding down on the cold glass as they were racing to reach the bottom. The woman sighed. If it wasn't raining, she would have walked to work. She even forgot her umbrella back in her small apartment. Damn that day! But she wouldn't give up. Rain was just…rain. It won't harm her, will it?

After she found a parking spot, she grabbed her purse and ran as fast as she could on her platforms, hoping she wouldn't slip and fall. That was all she needed to make her day 'perfect'. After only 10 seconds running in the rain, both her hair and her clothes were soaking wet. Why on earth did she choose today of all days to wear her favorite white almost see-through t-shirt and a hot pink bra? Men walking pass her stared at her chest while wearing a wide grin on their faces; some of them even started whistling and meowing, which the woman found extremely annoying. However, in spite of the day she had and the bad luck chasing her as if they were playing a game of cat and mouse, she arrived at the club 5 minutes before the curtain went up. Entering the back door, she heard her boss yelling at the poor employees, demanding answers on where her newest dancer was at that moment. As soon as she heard the door closing, the woman with long blonde hair and honey like eyes stopped what she was doing and turned her attention to the oh so late dancer.

"Where have you been?" she shouted as she walked furiously to her, trying hard to control herself so she wouldn't slap the pinkette standing before her. The young woman bowed and apologized also trying to breathe normally.

"I'm sorry Tsunade-sama, but I was stuck in traffic and-" but she was not given the chance to finish telling her story as Tsunade grabbed her hand and led her to her room to get changed. She gave the pinkette her two outfits, explaining her which she had to wear first. She closed the door behind them and immediately started helping the dancer get undressed.

"Look Sakura, if it wasn't for the fact that I really like you, you would have been banned to step in my club ever again. Being late on your first day of work isn't the best way to impress your boss, you know?" Tsunade explained to her as she passed Sakura her first outfit which contented in a pair of electric blue lace thong and a really beautiful yet provocative corsage. The underwear had small turquoise ribbons on each side whereas the corsage –which was a little too tight on Sakura- was the same color as the ribbons, with dark and uneven lacelike material hanging almost on every corner of it. As she was getting dressed, her boss wrapped around her right leg a black silky like material, stretching from her ankle all the way to her tight before giving her the silver stilettos she was going to wear.

The blonde woman wrinkled her nose as she saw that the mascara Sakura was wearing was leaking under her eyes all the way to her cheeks and her wet hair which looked as if was glued to her head and neck. She took an elegant hairpin and pulled Sakura's bubblegum hair into a very high bun. She then took a couple of eye pads and decided to help her with her make-up too. But, it was too late. They heard the loud music in the background and figured out it already started.

"Fuck." she muttered under her breath as she dragged Sakura to the backstage. But as soon as they arrived there, Tsunade sighed in relief. "Luckily for you, young lady, Ino hasn't started singing yet. Now go, go!" she pushed the pinkette on the stage to the other girls. She stumbled a little, but managed to regain her balance on her 15 cm heels. She looked in front of her and saw that the club was almost full, around 150 people. The loud music coming from the speakers made even her soul vibrate as she began dancing, synchronizing herself with the other girls. Apart from Ino, who was the lead singer and wore a golden summer dress, the girls all wore the same outfit.

_I went everywhere for you_

_I even did my hair for you_

_I bought new underwear, they're blue!_

_And I wore them just the other day._

Sakura watched Ino as she pointed out to her blonde curly hair and then showed her electric blue underwear, wearing a big smile on her face, always looking in the eyes of a certain man sitting at the nearest table to the stage. The song the blonde sang was actually a cover of Lena's 'Satellite', a very big hit in Europe in 2010. It was the club's policy that on each Friday and Saturday night, Ino or the other star, Karin, would perform a well known song just to attract more people. On the other weeknights, the stars would be at home, resting, whereas the dancers would perform on playbacks. But they were not as successful as Ino and Karin. Apart from having a great voice, they were also beautiful. The only thing which was a shame was that neither of them had dancing skills. That way, they would have attracted even more people and would have probably performed every night, singing live or doing playback.

_Love, oh love_

_I gotta tell you how I feel about you_

_Cause I, oh, I_

_Can't go a minute without your love_

All the girls dancing in the back placed their palms together in the shape of a heart before moving their hips from side to side then falling down on their knees, their palms now pressed hard against the glittery floor.

_Love my aim is straight and true,_

_Cupid's arrow is just for you_

_I even painted my toenails for you_

_I did it just the other day…_

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The rest of the night was really great. Quite relaxing, actually. After finishing her two performances, Sakura decided to get a drink and celebrate her first day at her new job. Sitting down on the high metallic chair in front of the bar, Sakura made sign for the bartender to take her order. Of course, as soon as he noticed her, he smiled and immediately turned his attention to the gorgeous woman sitting on the other side of the bar.

"Hey Naruto." she greeted him with a big grin, eyes sparkling with euphoria. The tall blonde man rested his elbows on the counter and leaned forward.

"Hey there, pinkie. Quite a performance you did there, huh?" he pointed out to the now empty stage.

"Yeah." she replied as she put her purse on her lap. "I was so nervous!" she took her hands to her face, trying to cover her flushed cheeks."When I saw how many people were looking straight at me, I started to freak out. I hope it didn't show…much."

"Nah, you looked just like a pro." He smirked as he firmly took a glass in his hands. "The usual?"

"Yep. And make that double, tonight I'm celebrating!"

She was closely examining her 'Can't resist coral' colored nails when she felt someone took a seat next to her. At first, she was uninterested to see who it was, but when he cleared his throat, she looked at him with the corner of her eyes.

"A shot of tequila" he ordered as he took of his jacket and placed it in his lap. She turned her head and looked at him. She then started eyeing him. Hm, he looked pretty familiar to her, however, she failed in her attempt to try and recognize the man. Well, he had black shiny hair which was pulled in a low ponytail, his cheek length bangs covering his eyes.

"A wonderful evening, wasn't it?" she heard him say as he turned his head to take a glance of her angelic face. The woman could recognize those mysterious dark eyes anywhere.

"Uchiha-san! I didn't notice you." A smile made its way to her lips. Itachi Uchiha, a successful businessman, was a devoted client of the club. She met him when she was working as a waitress here, long before she was hired as a dancer.

"Well" Itachi sighed as he closed his eyes and pretended to be hurt "that's a shame. I noticed you the very second you stepped on the stage. I really was wondering where my favorite waitress was, so imagine my disappointment when I realized she was not taking my order anymore, but dancing hardly dressed along with the other girls. I just hope it was just this time."

Sakura giggled. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, Uchiha-san-"

"Itachi." he corrected the pinkette.

"Itachi-san" she bit her lip "but I will no longer be your waitress. I am a fulltime dancer from now on."

As Naruto brought the two their drinks, Itachi immediately took a sip. "I'm glad to hear it."

"Yeah." She mumbled. "It was Naruto who convinced me to try and audition." She pointed out the bartender who winked in response. The Uchiha looked at her as she also took a sip of her alcoholic drink, wrinkling her nose at the sour taste. He leaned forward until his lips almost touched her ears.

"How about we go somewhere else?"

Sakura shivered as his low voice registered in her mind. "Where exactly?"

"A party. Well, it's my brother's birthday party and I don't want to show up without a lady by my side."

Sakura eyed him suspiciously. "Hm, and why choose me? I'm certain you have tons of women standing in a line just to go on a date with you."

"Well" he took another sip of his drink before he continued "I trust you."

"How can you trust me? I'm a stranger to you."

"I know your name."

"That's not enough."

"Let's just say that I am sure you're not going to rape me if I get wasted."

Silence.

"Fair enough."

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** So, what do you think so far? I hope you all enjoyed reading it! **

**Please review and let me know what you think about it!**

**Thank you **


	2. Chapter 2

**I want to thank those who took their time to read and review the story! I'm so happy you like the plot! At first, I had doubts, but now…I'm just so freaking happy because I have so many ideas for the story, you can't believe it!**

**Disclaimer- I own nothing but the plot**

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**Mermaid Motel**

**~Ch****apter 2~**

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On their way to the party, Itachi and Sakura were awfully silent. They didn't exchange one word, which was weird, especially for Sakura since her mouth rarely took a break. Maybe they were embarrassed to talk while the cab driver was there and listening because the radio wasn't on. Sakura took a glance of Itachi which was looking outside the window. He seemed to be in deep thoughts. The pinkette opened her mouth to speak, only to close it back as she decided not to disturb him. Who knows, maybe he was thinking of something really important so she decided to look out the window as well. The sky was dark and covered in a thick starry cover. Sakura smiled. She never really realized how clear she could see the stars until that night.

Suddenly the car stopped. Sakura was preparing to take some money from her purse to pay the driver when she felt Itachi's warm hand touch her shoulder. "I'll pay." he said as he gave the money to the driver and hurried to open Sakura's door and help her get out. He was such a gentleman. The young woman took his hand and held it tight as she got out, a charming smile always present on her full red lips.

"Thank you, Itachi-san." she murmured as her platforms made contact with the wet pavement. She looked around, inspecting the neighborhoods. Hm. She had never been there before. As the car drove off, she turned around and let Itachi lead the way. The green eyed woman looked up, widening her eyes as her lips parted in pure amazement. The building in front of her was huge! Almost like a miniature palace. The architecture was stunning. Victorian style. Sakura turned her head to Itachi and eyed him questioningly. "Who on earth is your brother?"

The older Uchiha couldn't help but smile. She was so beautiful with that shocked expression on her face. "He is my business partner. The two of us run that international company I told you about, remember? With those real estates? "

The coral haired woman nodded, letting him know that she had remembered. "Do you live there too?"

"No. I used to, but now I live in an apartment near the club."

"How come?" she asked as she stopped in her tracks, waiting for Itachi to knock at the massive wooden door before them. Instead, he simply opened the door for her, inviting her to go in first.

"Well, I'm mostly gone abroad and when I come home, I usually stay for 1 week. Why bother my brother when I can live in my own apartment.

The sight she saw next stunned her. The mansion was even more beautiful on the inside. Small statues in almost every corner, pictures of famous painters, pots of exotic plants every here and there, expensive chandeliers… The mansion even had a pond in the middle of the hallway with koi fish swimming freely in the 2x2 meters marble pond.

Surrounding them were people dressed in expensive evening gowns in every possible color. Sakura's cheeks immediately flushed as she realized she was not dressed adequate for the event. Every woman there wore elegant night dresses, whereas she wore a pair of bleached skinny jeans, an almost see-through white t-shirt which was two numbers larger than what she normally wore and a pair of black platforms. Great. Just great.

Itachi noticed the woman standing beside him wasn't feeling comfortable so he took her hand in his and whispered "You don't have to worry. Everything will be fine. Now let's go and find my brother. I want to present you to him. "And with that said, they went in the living room hoping they will find the birthday boy. Of course it was hard finding him considering the fact that there were so many people. Itachi sighed. "Sakura, wait here. I'm going to see if he's upstairs."

Sakura watched as her partner wondered off in the crowd, leaving her alone with people she did not know.

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He hated it. He hated every single part of it. Why on earth did his girlfriend had to throw a party for him, when he precisely told her not to? Didn't she figure out he wasn't a sociable kind of guy? He made a sign to the waiter who brought him another glass of favorite French champagne. At least he could get drunk and forget this night ever happened, right? He started walking through the hallway when he was stopped by a bunch of people. 'Here we go again…' he said to himself as he took a big breath of air.

"Mr Uchiha!" the young lady started as she held her date's arm. "We just wanted to tell you 'Happy Birthday' and let you know that we are grateful you considered inviting us to your anniversary."

Sasuke nodded, deciding not to waste his voice with these people who were foreign to him. As he started thinking about it, more than half the people his girlfriend had invited were foreign to him.

The raven haired then started walking toward the living room to where the buffet was due to the fact that he started feeling slightly hungry. He looked at his wrist watch. 1 am. Just another two hours and it will all be over. As he entered the living room, he started looking around. 'Just how many people did that woman invited?' Making his way to the nicely arranged table near the window, he noticed a woman with pink hair standing near the table, looking around. He frowned as he stopped in his tracks. She looked awfully familiar to him. But it couldn't be her. It just couldn't, right? But his hopes were wiped away as soon as their gazes met. He could recognize those emerald pools anywhere.

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_A man was quietly sitting at a table near the stage, enjoying his alcoholic drink. He was waiting for the sparkling red curtain to go up so he could see his girlfriend performing. Well, if it wasn't for her request, he wouldn't have stepped in this or in any other club. Ever. He wasn't the kind of guy to go out often if it wasn't related to his work._

_He ran his hand through his raven silky locks as he exhaled. He was getting frustrated. He could hear the waitresses' whispers and giggles behind him. Hn. The story of his life. He always had this kind of 'problems' with women, unless he was the one who was interested in them. That was a completely different story. But, oh well. His godlike features were at the same time a blessing and a curse._

_'Come on already!' he thought. He was sitting there for almost 20 minutes, waiting for the show to start. The sooner it started, the faster he would get out of there. Not that he wanted to go home where a party awaited him._

_Suddenly, he felt a hand resting on his broad shoulder. He cursed. Those waitresses were getting more and more annoying by the minute. He shoved the hand off of his shoulder and jerked his head to face the one who invaded his private space and dared touching him. He was surprised to see his older brother._

_"Well, well, well, who do we have here? Finally realized you must go out more often, Sasuke-chan?" he said as he took the empty seat next to his brother._

_"What do you want, Itachi?" he rolled his eyes, deciding to ignore his brother._

_"Well, I wanted to congratulate you for entering in such a club, and I also wanted to inform you that I will be late at your birthday party. I plan on having a few drinks before coming over to your house."_

_"Why even bother coming? You know you are not wanted there." he mumbled, laying his coal eyes on the empty stage. How much longer will it take for the god damned show to start? "It's more than enough to see you at work."_

_But before Itachi could reply, the loud music started. The curtain was finally up. Making her way on the stage on a graceful manner was his girlfriend wearing a golden dress and holding a microphone in her right hand. Behind her, numerous other girls, who Sasuke assumed were dancers, made their way on the scene in the same manner as Ino. Only one wasn't as graceful as the others, which immediately caught Sasuke's attention. A pink haired dancer came stumbling on the stage, rapidly regaining her balance on her high heels. He fought the urge to smirk as he saw that the girl's make-up was leaking down her face. How pathetic. The poor girl doesn't even know how to do her own make-up. Despite the fact that he considered her pathetic for that small detail, he found her attractive. She had a slim curvy body, which moved as a snake on the rhythm of the song and a pair of big apple eyes which were in perfect contrast with her bubblegum hair. He found all that…interesting._

_He watched her in both performances, ignoring his girlfriend and her singing, which fortunately for him, Ino missed. As soon as the shows were over, he went in the backstage, determined to find the woman who caught his attention. He saw a door on which was a sign in shape of a golden star on which was written 'dancers' and immediately went toward it. He stopped before it. He wanted to mentally slap himself. What on earth was wrong with him? He was stalking a dancer he didn't even know existed before. Luckily for him, Itachi came after him and told him where Ino's room was._

_"It's the first one to the left. She doesn't share her room with the dancers." his older brother told him as he shoved his hands in his pockets. He saw Sasuke leave for Ino's room and smirked. He was certain he wasn't looking for Ino. Not after he saw the way he watched Sakura. It was as if she was the only one on the stage. His little brother was interested in her. Mesmerized by her looks and moves. Itachi's smirk widened. He knew just what he had to do._

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The young woman looked as if she was looking after someone. As Sasuke walked over at her, he wondered who did the dancer came with. Since she was a colleague of Ino's, she must have invited her too. But judging by her outfit, the girl was certainly not aware she was going at such an event. The raven haired watched as her t-shirt fell off of one shoulder, exposing her skin and also her hot pink bra straps. He smirked as she noticed him and immediately arranged her top.

"Hey" he greeted her as he put down the crystal glass on the table, taking instead a shrimp from the beautifully arranged plateau, dipping it in some sauce before taking it to his mouth.

"Hi." she replied, looking at his lips as they parted to allow the food enter his mouth. She licked her lips, wanting to moisturize them as they suddenly became dry.

"Are you thirsty?" he asked as he made sign to the waiter to bring him another drink. He gave her the drink, the slightly skin contact making her jump. His hands were icy. As she took the glass to her lips, she wondered how anyone could have such cold hands. 'Maybe he has bad blood circulation in his extremities.'

"What's your name?" he asked, his firm voice registering in her mind. She looked up at him. He was pretty tall. The pinkette barely reached his shoulder. However, before she could answer, Itachi came and wrapped his arm around her neck.

"There you were Sakura!" He looked in front of them and saw Sasuke throwing him a glare, his hands bowling into tight fists. Great. Just great.

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**What do you guys think? Was it good? Please leave a review and let me know!**

**I also want to tell you that I won't be updating the next chapter too soon. I have a term paper this week and tons of other tests I have to prepare for. Maybe next week?**

**P.S.- Ignore any grammar/spelling mistakes. I didn't have time to reread it. **

**Thank you!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey! I'm back, earlier than I proposed, but that's great! What actually made me write this thing earlier were all your wonderful reviews, but mostly because of BROWNeyes's review which was filled with so much enthusiasm that I couldn't help but start writing right away. Studying can wait :D Anyway, I have that term paper in two days from now, so…**

**Anyway, I was overwhelmed with how many people actually read my story that I couldn't believe my eyes ^^ Thank you so much!**

**Standard disclaimer applied.**

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**Mermaid Motel**

**~Chapter 3~**

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Sasuke was out of his mind. He bowled his fists until his fingers became white at the sight of his older brother's arm around _his_ dancer. Wait. _His_ dancer? What on earth was he thinking!He just saw her for the first time in his life several hours ago, barely got time to talk, and now he was referring to her as _his_ dancer? But it was that woman's fault! She was the one who mesmerized him, after all. He was just…looking at her when he was supposed to look at his gorgeous girlfriend. It was true that this dancer wasn't as beautiful as Ino, however she had something very interesting which intrigued Sasuke.

But why did his brother wanted to bring this interesting creature with him? Did she even know him, or was it just another girl caught in Itachi's spell? He eyed her and saw the way she blushed as his brother's arm held her tighter.

"Why hello there, brother!" he greeted him while patting Sasuke's shoulder. "I searched for you everywhere. Here." Itachi took a small cashmere covered box from his pocket and gave it to his little brother. Sasuke frowned. A gift? From his brother? He opened the small box and was surprised to find two engagement rings inside. The raven haired felt his blood pressure rise. He glared at his brother only to receive a warm look from him. "For you and your girlfriend. You know, if you will ever have the guts to propose to her." Sasuke's gaze felt upon Sakura, who seemed slightly uncomfortable, shifting her form from one leg to the other. What the hell was his brother doing? He saw him turning his head to look at Sakura and opened his damned mouth to speak. "You know, my brother here wants to get married soon. He loves his girlfriend so much. I told him it would be too soon to get married, taking into account the fact that they are together for 2 months."

Glare.

"Itachi, what the-"

"Oh, please accept my apologize Sakura, I forgot to introduce you to my brother here. Sakura Haruno, this is Sasuke Uchiha. I must also apologize in my brother's name because he's so quiet. He is just so shy!"

The pinkette looked up at Sasuke and lend him her hand for the young Uchiha to grab and shake. And so he did. He almost forgot all the bullshit his brother had just said as he felt her soft warm skin against his cold one. He bored into her bright green eyes, wanting to stare at them forever. He was brought back to reality as his loud girlfriend joined them, embracing Sasuke tight in her lovable arms. The onyx eyed man let go of Sakura's hand, shoving his in his pockets.

Ino examined the girl in front of her and smiled as she realized who it was.

"Hey there, Hakura."

"Sakura" the rosette corrected her as she bit her lower lip. 'That's Sasuke's girlfriend? Wow. Well, he's hot and it's natural for him to have a hot girlfriend, right?'

"I am sorry. It is just hard to memorize people's names, especially when they are new. Anyway, good dancing back there! You're really talented."

"Thanks…" she muttered as she looked back at Sasuke. Was he staring at her? Did she have something on her face?

Itachi saw the way his little brother looked at Sakura and smirked. Why not torture him a little more? He leaned forward to Sakura and whispered something in her ear, never losing eye contact with his brother. In the next second, a big grin bloomed on Sakura's red lips. He saw Sasuke widening his eyes. Bingo.

"Well folks, we better get going. We still have a lot of **things** to do, right Sakura?" He saw the pinkette nod and decided to walk away but not before he kissed Ino on her blushed cheek and messed Sasuke's hair.

"Nice meeting you, Sasuke." she said as she turned on her heels and left along the older Uchiha. As they left the mansion and got in a cab, Sakura decided to speak up. "Your brother is a really nice guy."

"Yes, he is. Too bad he cheats on that wonderful girl with some hoes he picks up from strip clubs." He saw as Sakura's expression turned from happy to shocked in several seconds. Oh, he was having so much fun! Might as well continue. "I know it must be hard to register, considering that he wants to get married to Ino and have tons of babies with her."

"T-tons?"

"Oh yes, of course. Well, that's what you have to expect from a sex addict. His mind can't function right if he doesn't think about having sex. Rough sex."

Sakura couldn't believe her ears. Why was Itachi telling her all this stuff about his brother? Those were personal matters which Sakura did not want to hear. They were Sasuke's problems. Why would they interest her? But it didn't take long for Itachi to continue revealing Sasuke's dark secrets. All the way to his apartment, Sakura learned that Sasuke had been a sex machine since the death of his parents, two years ago, when they died in a car accident when they were on their way to the airport. "Poor boy." Sakura saw Itachi shaking his head. "I tell you this Sakura because I noticed the way he was looking at you. He probably just wants to have a one-nightstand with you. And I know you're not that kind of woman. I just wanted to warn you.'

As they arrived to Itachi's place, Sakura let her bag on the floor and went in the kitchen to have a glass of water while Itachi was in his bedroom, putting on something more adequate. The green eyed woman took a moment to look around Itachi's house and was pleasantly surprised to see pictures with him and his family on the white walls. 'He is a family guy' Sakura deduced, a sweet smile making its way on her lips. She always wanted to find herself a family guy, which until that point, failed. But she knew Itachi wasn't thinking of her as a girl he would date as much as he considered her a friend, a plain buddy.

"Ready to go?" she turned around to see Itachi dressed in not so formal clothes like the ones he wore at Sasuke's party and at the club. His outfit contented of a pair of blue jeans and a crimson red shirt. Hm, red looked really good on him. She made her way towards him, taking his arm and dragging him out of the house. "Of course." she giggled loudly.

* * *

His blood was boiling within his veins. First his brother takes her there, interrupts them when they were in the middle of a conversation, makes fun of him in front of her, and now he told her to go to his place! Well, that's what Sasuke deduced as he saw her wide smile when Itachi whispered something in her ear. It must be it! He looked after the pair as they disappeared in the crowd, obviously walking outside and into a cab. At that point, Sasuke wanted to kill his brother. He may be onto something since he brought that Sakura out of anyone here to meet his little brother.

Again, Itachi was getting in his way. What was wrong with him? Was it that pleasing seeing his brother suffer? His own brother? Well, Sasuke would have done the same, but that wasn't the point! The point was that Itachi was bugging his nose in his business, and Sasuke did not like it, never mind letting him do so without taking his revenge.

He looked down. Ino was still holding him as if she was holding onto her life. He needed to do something. He needed to get in his brother's way. He needed to get that flower and hold her for himself.

"Ino…" he whispered as he saw the blonde woman raising her head, looking straight into his dark coal eyes, letting him know she's all ears. "I must go outside for a couple of minutes. It's too crowded here." As his words left his mouth, he wiggled out of her hold and went outside, ignoring the girl who was telling him that the cake was about to be served. He looked around trying to catch a glimpse of pink somewhere around him. He saw the woman getting inside a cab with his brother. Damn it. He was too late. He spotted a cab pulling over, a couple of men getting out as they were arranging their expensive suits. 'Great. Other strangers.'

He walked passed them and into the cab, telling the driver to follow the car in front of them. As soon as the driver pulled over at an apartment complex, he knew what came next. He would go up the staircase and hear loud moans and grunts coming from one of the apartments. He closed his eyes and tried to stay calm. Maybe that wasn't the case. But just to be sure he paid the taxi driver, got out and opened the complex's heavy metal door. He wasn't sure which apartment they went in, so he decided to stay there and wait.

Soon he heard a loud giggle coming from the fifth floor. He was sure it was hers. Sasuke immediately went up the staircase only to meet the two slowly walking down the stairs, big smiles on their faces. But as they noticed the raven haired, they stopped in their tracks throwing strange looks.

"What are you doing here?"

* * *

Naruto took a glance at the clock on the counter. 1.43 am. Well, in almost two hours he will finish his shift and finally have the chance to go home and hug his bed to death. He was so tired and had reasons to be. Apart from working for 6 hours, the club was almost full. Well, it was Friday, after all. At least he took a minor break when his colleague showed up on the scene and managed to see her dance. Hm. Sakura. Only the thought of his precious friend would make Naruto wear that pretty smile of his. However, his smile faded as quickly as it appeared as he remembered Sakura walking out of the club with that Uchiha guy. Who knows what happened to them. The only thing Naruto knew about that guy was from what the pinkette had told him, which wasn't much. He owns an international real estate company; he's super rich, funny. On the other hand, Sakura didn't know a small detail about this character: he was a playboy along with his notorious brother, Sasuke Uchiha.

The blonde bartender yawned and decided to rest his head on the wooden counter for a couple of minutes. He closed his cerulean eyes and started thinking about his female friend. About the first day they met which wasn't that long ago. He remembered the rosette walking down the stairs, looking somewhat confused. The first impression she made was that she was innocent as she came to the bar after paying the entrance and asked him if this was a strip club. She might have gotten the idea after seeing the girls dancing only in lingerie on the stage.

His track of thoughts was interrupted after he heard someone hit the counter with an envelope. He immediately raised his head off the counter meeting his boss's golden eyes.

"What is it?" he asked on a bored tone. Tsunade raised her eyebrows. Did he had a drink or something? Since when did he started using that tone with her?

"Uzumaki, I need your opinion on something."

"What?" he asked, widening his eyes in pure shock. She never asked his opinion. It is true that he would give his opinion regarding everything without her asking, but this was strange. "How many shots of Jaeger did you-"

"I didn't drink anything, idiot! I just wanted to ask your opinion on Sakura. I am planning to have a new show and I was thinking of Sakura to play the lead, you know?"

"Oh my god, baa-chan! It would be awesome!"

Sigh.

"Luckily for you mister, you're my nephew. Otherwise you would have been fired long ago."

* * *

**Yay, chapter 3 finished. I really had fun writing the first part. Hopefully, you'll like this chapter as much as you do the previous ones. **

**I am sorry if you find any mistakes, but I was in a rush while writing it, trying as hard as possible to finish it sooner so I can update it today and start learning tomorrow. I'm so happy because I wrote this chapter in what, two hours? Yeah…**

**Please consider leaving a review and tell me your thoughts regarding this chapter!**

**Thank you! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey there, good friends. I want to apologize for the fact that I haven't updated in weeks, but I lost my inspiration for this chapter. You may find it very dull, so I apologize for that too. **

**I want to thank everyone who reads and reviews this story! I love you all! It would be much better if I would receive as many reviews as the number of those who read the story, but oh well…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto!**

* * *

**Mermaid Motel**

**~Chapter 4~**

* * *

He stood there, motionless. Along with his body, his brain had frozen. He was caught red handed. All Sasuke could think of were curses. Lots and lots of curses for the Fates who apparently had decided to interfere with his plans again, just as they did twice earlier that night: first, when he wanted to go and talk to the mysterious dancer at the club, then when he tried again at his party. Hm. Strangely enough, his brother was always the one to step in his way. Were he and the Fates in some kind of relationship and had planned to ruin Sasuke's life and have fun as they did so?

Even more shocked than the raven haired was Sakura, who immediately remembered what Itachi told her about his brother who seemed to have some kind of intention in getting her in bed. The pinkette eyed him disbelievingly as she bit her inner lip. When the older Uchiha warned her about his brother she didn't thought he was serious. Was Sasuke going to stalk her until she agrees to sleep with him? That was bullshit. Did Sakura really look like that type of woman to him? She wasn't planning on giving what he craved for, no matter how much he insisted. Even if that wasn't the case and Sakura would have fancied him, she still wouldn't have done it. She would feel remorseful for Ino. Sasuke planned on proposing to the blonde. They were going to become a family. If the rosette ever thought of doing something as stupid as sleeping with Sasuke she would feel like a home wrecker.

Itachi watched his brother closely, waiting for him to speak up and answer his question. He noticed the way his body suddenly stiffened the moment they met. He saw Sasuke licking his lips in an attempt to moisturize them. Clearly, he was nervous. He was speechless. It was true that his brother wasn't actually a fan of conversations, but he could still figure out whenever he was wordless.

"Well, Sasuke?" He saw his brother looking up at him, eyes showing no emotion whatsoever. "I asked you a question; it would be polite if you at least answered it." It took a couple of seconds before his brother replied, a sign that he was thinking of an appropriate answer.

"I came to ask you about the papers the Americans send us last week." he answered briefly, shoving his hands in his pockets. Itachi smirked, amused by his brother's answer and the way he made it sound as if it was something completely normal to come after papers at that time of hour. Itachi knew the reason why his brother came, and it wasn't the papers. No sir. He eventually figured out Sasuke would follow them after he emphasized the word 'things' right before he and the cherry blossom left. He knew precisely what his little brother will think. Despite knowing the real reason, Itachi decided not to reveal it.

"Sasuke, there is no need to hide the truth. I know exactly why you came.." He saw the raven haired swallow hard before arching his brows, ready to see what Itachi was going to reply. He smirked. Sasuke was definitely freaking out inside. He knew it would be humiliating for his little brother to reveal his real intention. "You got bored at the party, and since you overheard our conversation, you decided to join us. Am I right?"

The onyx eyed man nodded, even thought he didn't know what his brother was talking about. Join them? Where? In the bedroom? Images of them having a threesome struck his mind and threatened to stay there for a while, making Sasuke shudder. That would be…disgusting and disturbing. However, a glance of the pinkette made him wonder how her naked body would feel against his bare skin. He closed his eyes trying to visualize it. He inhaled deeply. The image was haunting him, teasing him. Oh, if only Itachi wasn't there…

"Then, let's get going. The karaoke bar won't stay open forever."

Silence. Glare.

Karaoke what?

* * *

The trip to the karaoke bar was silent and full of awkwardness. The three of them were sitting on the comfortable back seats, each male on the window sides while Sakura was gracefully sitting between the two. She turned her attention to Sasuke who was looking outside the window. Maybe she and Itachi were wrong about him. What if he indeed overheard their conversation and came to have fun, and not to pursuit the female to sleep with him? It was a plausible reason, right? But how on earth did the younger Uchiha heard what Itachi told her? He almost whispered it to her, and Sasuke, well, he was standing 1 meter away from them.

Neither of them said a word since they left Itachi's complex and Sakura was starting to feel a little uncomfortable. So, she decided to speak up and break the ice. She poked Sasuke's arm and waited for him to turn his head to her.

"Do you really like karaoke? Or you just came along to escape from the party?"

Sakura's question took the man completely off guard. He thought for a second before he answered. What if she was onto something?

"Escape form the party." he said bluntly. He wasn't going to delight her with long explanations now, would he? Sasuke took a close look of Sakura in the darkness of the cab. Her features were even sexier in the dark. He bored into her shining green eyes, opening his mouth to speak, but closed it back as he revised the question he indented to ask her. He couldn't possibly ask her if she wanted to go somewhere else with him when his brother was on the opposite side of the seat. What if he opened his brother's door and pushed him outside and tried to make it seem like an accident?

"So…" he heard her sweet voice sneaking inside his ears gently. Hm. He would do anything to hear that innocent voice of hers scream out his name as she reaches her climax, her sweaty body under his own. He shook his head, trying to regain control over his thoughts. But his eyes were already full of lust. Luckily, it was dark inside the cab, so the pinkette didn't notice. "Where have you met Ino?"

Sakura looked up at him, waiting patiently for the answer. But it never came. She saw Sasuke turning his attention back to the window. She felt Itachi's warm hand on her shoulder, his hot breath tickling her ear. "He doesn't quite like talking about his personal life." he whispered receiving an 'oh' from Sakura. Hm, so he was that kind of guy.

Suddenly, the car pulled over. The rosette frowned. Had they already reached their destination? Looking outside the window she saw the big flashing sign of the bar that continuously turned from green to pink. After paying the cab driver, they got out of the yellow car. Sakura immediately embraced herself in an attempt to protect her skin from the cold wind. She was wearing, after all, a plain t-shirt. Fortunately for her, Sasuke still had his coat with him, so after seeing her goose bumps and the way she was rubbing her bare arms he landed it to her, helping her put it on.

"Thank you." She turned around and flashed him a smile. He was nothing like Itach's description of him. Unless he was doing this to be kind to her so that she would, eventually, take him home. That was also a possibility. The woman wanted to mentally slap herself. She was being a little too paranoid for her liking. But just to be sure, she would stay away from him as much as possible.

As the three of them entered the bar, they noticed that it was almost empty, except for some drunken guys who were laughing like maniacs as one of them made a joke. Sakura along with the Uchiha brothers made their way to the bar, ordering some cocktails.

"I'll have a 'Sex on the beach', please." Sakura ordered as she took a seat on the steel chair next to Itachi. She turned her head to Sasuke, who took a sit right next to her. Great. Magnificent even. She was trying to avoid him and there he was, invading her space in all his glory. When the bartender asked him what he desired, she heard the man ordering the same drink as her. After the bartender gave them their drinks, Sakura immediately took her lips to the orange straw. She was about to choke when she looked at Sasuke with the corner of her dazzling eyes and saw him unbuttoning the first three buttons of his white shirt. Sasuke threw her a weird look.

"I'm hot." he explained to her, rolling his dark eyes. His attention was however torn form the woman sitting next to him as he heard some giggles behind. He could hear whispers of how hot and attractive those women considered him. Itachi, seeing the annoyed look on his younger brother's face, laughed. God, he was having so much fun that night!

"I'll be right back." Itachi excused himself as he got up and made his way to the bathroom. He was really curious of what would happen if he let the two alone.

Sakura took out her cell phone from her purse to check for any missed calls. She sighed as she saw she had one from her blonde friend, Naruto. 'Well, it could wait until morning.' the woman thought as she placed it on the counter, accidentally hitting Sasuke's cocktail glass, the alcoholic drink spilling all over his shirt.

"God, I'm so sorry!" she apologized as she took a couple of napkins from the counter and tried to help Sasuke clean himself. The man didn't complain and let the coral haired continue to stoke his wet chest. Her touches sent shivers down his spine. It felt so right.

As she tried cleaning his shirt, she couldn't help but notice how well built his chest was and how hard it felt under her fingers. She blushed a little as she saw that his peaks had hardened against the wet material. She bit her lower lip as she moved her fingers away from his chest.

"I'm truly sorry…" she said as she looked down at her hands. Suddenly, she felt Sasuke's cold fingers gently grab her chin, lifting her head so her eyes would meet his. She wondered how anyone could have such dark, piercing eyes. She took notice of his face moving slowly toward hers and for a moment, she was caught in his spell.

* * *

Sakura was pinned against the exterior wall of the bar, her lips caught in a passionate kiss along with Sasuke's. He grabbed her thighs and squeezed them tight, sending waves of pleasure through the pinkette's body before he wrapped her long legs around his waist, pressing his massive body on hers. They broke the kiss as the need for air settled in. Both of them were panting wildly and they haven't done anything yet. They took a moment to look in each other's lustful eyes, trying to read each other's mind. Sakura opened her mouth to speak, but before any word could come out, it was covered once more as Sasuke's lips crashed onto hers, his tongue slipping into her hot cavity as she gasped in surprise.

* * *

**Ha! This last part is just a mini teaser for what comes next. I hope it'll hold you in suspense until the next chapter. There will be a lot of twists going on, and if you haven't figured out already, a lot of sex. *Wink, wink***

**The next chapter will be up pretty soon, since I'm done with my term papers and vacation is almost here.**

**I really hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. Please review and tell me what you think about it!**

**P.S.- Sorry if you find mistakes. I've reread this chapter for over 5 times so if some slipped, it's because I'm only human :P**

**Thank you.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Yay! New chapter! I want to thank you all who took their time to read and review this story. I'm so glad all of you like it, I can't stop smiling. That's why I dedicate this chapter to those you reviewed this story until now. I really hope you will like it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Kylie Minogue's song "Two Hearts"**

* * *

**Mermaid Motel**

**~Chapter 5~**

* * *

The kiss was electrifying, pouring more gasoline on the fire the two already felt deep inside. They were so caught up in it they didn't even notice people walking on the other side of the street actually stopped in their tracks to take a look. Of course, the expression present on their shaded faces showed just how disgusted they were by the sight before them. I mean, seriously, how often do you see couples hotly making out on the street? Sakura, wrapping her arms around the man's neck, deepened the kiss, determined to taste more of Sasuke. She faintly tasted the alcoholic drink they both had earlier, but that didn't bothered her at all. In fact, she enjoyed every bit of it.

All of the sudden, she felt Sasuke's hot lips leaving her mouth and was about to complain when she felt those fine, juicy lips of his placing wet kisses on her neck all the way to her collarbone. In response, she took a handful of his silky locks, holding it tight as she released a small moan. God, this man made her feel so good. Sasuke began sucking on a part of her soft skin leaving a pretty bruised mark. His hands moved from her thighs to her small waist, slowly massaging it, teasing the young woman on purpose. He felt her lips slightly touching his right ear. "Sasukeee" he heard her purr in his ear before she took his earlobe in her teeth and licked it playfully, a wide grin blossoming on her kiss bruised lips. The pinkette unwrapped her arms from his neck and managed to slide her tiny hands underneath his soaked shirt, exploring every inch of his well built torso. Every touch sent shivers down Sasuke's spine, filling him with lust, making him crave for more. Suddenly, he felt Sakura dig her nails into his skin, making him grunt. He looked up into her glowing eyes and realized what she was scheming. She wanted more than merely kisses and touches that weren't that intimate. She wanted him to go further.

In less than three seconds, the dancer found herself on the cold, wet ground, with Sasuke above her, his experienced hands already roaming all over her body as he kissed her roughly. In the process, Sakura touched his chest, desperately trying to find his shirt's buttons so she could unbutton them. As soon as she found them and managed to open his shirt, she tore her lips away from the fiery kiss, her lips now placing butterfly kisses all over his chest as her hands continuously explored his bare skin.

In the background there was a familiar song playing, but Sakura chose to ignore it. She was now having the time of her life with this man and wasn't planning on stopping anytime soon. Slowly but surely, she managed to switch positions with Sasuke, the rosette now lying on top of him.

"Having a good time?" Sakura asked the raven haired as she licked her lips seductively, her eyes shining with what seemed to be lust. The Uchiha, however, didn't have time to reply as Sakura's lips crashed hard against his. As the kiss was continuously deepened, the music became louder and louder, Sakura finally realizing it came from her cell phone.

_Two hearts are beating together_

_I'm in love, whoo! I'm in love, whoo!_

_Is this for ever and ever?_

_I'm in love, whoo! I'm in lo-ove! _

Sakura immediately opened her sleepy jade eyes and gasped in surprise as she found herself in her bedroom, the bed sheets and everything else lying on the hard wooden floor. She looked around in pure amazement. Was it all just a dream? But how could it? It felt so darn real! She looked at her golden night dress and noticed it was partially wet. How on earth could she have sweated so much by simply sleeping? The pinkette looked on the nightstand and saw her cell phone was vibrating like crazy, Kylie Minogue's song filling the otherwise silent room. Annoyed that this small object had awakened her from her dream, Sakura cursed before she picked up.

"Hello?"

"Open the door." she heard the man on the end of the line say. It took her several second before the man's voice registered in her mind and was able to identify it. She instantly got up from her bed and rushed to the door to unlock it, throwing her phone on her comfy bed as she did so. The door opened to reveal a tall blonde man dressed in a pair of baggy jeans and an orange t-shirt. He looked pretty surprised to find her in her short night dress. The combination of her wearing that provocative dress and her hair messed up in a very sexy way almost made him get a boner.

"Hey work colleague!" she said cheerfully as she took his warm hands in hers and dragged him inside, closing the door behind them. "What are you doing here at this wonderful time in the morning?"

"You're being sarcastic, aren't you?" he smirked.

"Yep."

"Well…" he started as he took a seat on the couch right in front of her bedroom's door "I came to give you a ride to work. A star needs to have her personal driver, doesn't she?" He winked.

"Too bad you're here too early! I still need to shower and eat my breakfast."

"I can wait." he assured her as he watched her go into the bathroom. After a 10 minute shower, the pinkette came out wearing only a small towel wrapped around her slim body. Naruto gulped as he tried his best not to look. However, his plan was torn to pieces as Sakura asked him to join her into her bedroom and help her get some clothes from the top shelf of the dresser as she couldn't reach it without using a chair.

"Can you please give me that black t-shirt with that white kitty on it and those shorts? Not those! The bright ones! They're on the left. Yeah, those are it. Oh, and another thing. Can you please give me that set of red lingerie that on the shelf beneath this one?" Naruto took the red lace lingerie and gave them to his female friend who immediately dropped the towel on the ground, taking her bra and thong in her hands. As soon as he saw her naked body, his face turned red and he stumbled on his own feet and fell on his back. It was a little strange that Sakura felt so comfortable standing naked in a guy's presence.

Sakura took notice of how flushed his face was and kneed beside him, placing her hand on his forehead, worrying that he may have a high temperature. She saw her buddy's face get even redder as she closed any space that was before between them.

"Strange. You don't seem to have a fever."

"Sakura, I think you should consider putting some clothes on." the blonde said as he turned his head away from the pinkette, trying hard to concentrate on not looking at her bare body. Sakura's eyes widened as she took her hand to her mouth.

"Oh god." She immediately got up and covered herself, her cheeks redder than a tomato. "I'm so sorry! I thought you were gay!"

"?" Naruto was speechless. Him? Gay? "What gave you the idea that I might be gay?"

"Every time I came at the club you would wear eyeliner and those really tight leather pants!"

There was a moment of silence before the whiskered man started laughing. "Tsunade made me. She said it was good for the club or something like that." He managed to get up from the floor and went to look outside the window while Sakura was dressing. "Oh, and speaking about Tsunade, she's been working on a new project for the next weekend."

"Weekend? What does my boss has in mind for Karin and Ino?" she asked as she pulled her shorts up.

"Well, she wasn't thinking about them…she wants you to be the lead. Ino and Karin will take a short vacation."

Sakura couldn't believe her ears. She? Playing the lead in a weekend show? Had she made such a good impression on her first day of work?

"Me? Ha, ha, very funny…"

"Nope. I'm serious. Dead serious."

* * *

Sasuke couldn't close one eye since last night. He was constantly thinking about the events that occurred that night. He couldn't keep his mind away from what happened between him and the pink haired woman, from that kiss…It was more like a slightly touch rather than a kiss. Their lips brushed against each other for a split second. However, it was worth it in spite of the hard slap he received afterwards. He touched his left cheek and smirked. That Sakura had some strength in her arms, something that Sasuke admired at a woman.

Of course, after she slapped him and stormed out of the bar, he went after her. He wouldn't let a woman like that go away, right? It didn't bother him that she wasn't going to give herself to him willingly. In fact, he loved chasing after his pray. When he was about to step out of the club, Itachi grabbed his arm and told him to leave Sakura alone, something that Sasuke found really annoying. His brother telling him to back off made him desire her even more, even though he wasn't consciously aware of it.

That was when he decided he needed to go at the club and find her. But there were still many hours before he could finally have the chance to see the dancer again.

"Sasuke-kun…" the blonde, apparently sleepy, murmured as she walked down the staircase, taking then a seat on the elegant chair next to the younger Uchiha. "Where have you been? You said you were going to take a breath of fresh air."

"I had to take some files from Itachi."

"At that time?" Ino said, throwing her hands in the air. "You're insane? People here asked where you were at. I made a fool out of myself trying to explain to the chief of 'Business Magazine' that you were coming soon, that you went outside for a bit! He wanted to take an exclusive interview for the magazine!"

Sasuke took his fingers to massage his temples. God, this woman was so loud.

"Just, please, shut up."

Ino widened her baby blue eyes in surprise. "Oh? You're telling me to shut up? What, you've got a head ache? I mean, I'm sure my head would be also pounding if I had drunk as much as you did!" She crossed her arms and tried to calm herself down. "You know what? I don't care where you were at. I was trying to make you a favor and you kicked it. It's alright." She watched him play with a small jewelry box in his hands before she asked what it was. Sasuke opened the small box and showed her the engagement rings. "Wow, you really want to propose to me?" she asked sarcastically. She took the two rings in her hands and took them closer to her face so she could examine them. "They're pretty."

"Do whatever you want with them." Sasuke mumbled as he got up from the comfortable chair and headed towards his bedroom.

* * *

**Eh? Fooled you with the first part, right? xD There's no way in hell Sakura would give herself that easily to Sasuke.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading it and will leave some reviews *wink**wink*. You know, 'cause reviews make me write sooner?**

**Sorry if you find mistakes, I was in a rush when writing it!**

**Thank you!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Mermaid Motel**

**~Chapter 6~**

* * *

"Naruto?" the pinkette asked as she placed her hand on his broad shoulder gently, trying not to surprise him as he was driving. He turned his head to look at her for a second before his gaze returned to the road ahead. It was a pleasant feeling for her to finally speak up and slightly break the awkwardness lingering in the air. After all, none said a word since they left Sakura's apartment.

"What is it, Sakura?"

"Sorry for thinking you were gay." she said, biting back a giggle. "I mean, I should have known you were straight. Just how you are dressed there combined with how hot you look, it seemed impossible to even think you were straight."

Naruto smirked in satisfaction then sighed deeply. "I knew right from the start that you were thinking just how hot I can be." He heard her laugh and decided to continue. He loved making her feel good. "I also overheard your conversation with the current waitress in which you described those really hot and sexy dreams you've been having with me." The dancer bit her lip and turned her head to him, grabbing his chin with her hand, slowly turning his head towards her. As soon as their gazes met, Sakura put a really seductive look on her face.

"That's right, Naruto. You got me! I've been in love with you ever since I first saw you in those really tight leather pants!"

They both burst out in a hysterical laughter. When they were together they would always make jokes like this, and sometimes flirt with each other, even thought Sakura believed he was returning her flirting just to have a laugh, since she thought he was gay. But actually, Naruto took her flirting a little serious. He really thought she had a thing for him and was proud of him. It annoyed him whenever she stood at the bar with him on her breaks and say oh how sexy the guy from table number 14 looked or how the man on table 3 would make a perfect boyfriend. To his relief, he finally found out she wasn't paying attention to him because he was considered 'gay'. Now he had a real chance. However, he wasn't so sure of it because last night Sakura and that Uchiha left, probably to go on a date or who knows, in bed for a piece of hot, sweaty sex. The Uchiha brothers are notorious for short term relationships which involved lots of sex.

"Where have you and Uchiha been last night?" the blonde asked, disgust in his voice as he pronounced that name. Sakura raised her brows in utter surprise. What was up with him?

"Well, at his brother's birthday party." Sakura stopped as she remembered what happened last night between her and Sasuke. The kiss, the slap, how his dark onyx eyes seemed to have some crimson in them, how hard his chest felt as under her touch, every single detail. But as soon as her mind drifted to Sasuke, she remembered the dream she had about her and him getting all heated up behind the karaoke bar. A faded blush made its way to her cheeks. Luckily for her, she was brought back to reality by Naruto's voice.

"Anything else?"

"Nothing much happened there, so we…went to the karaoke bar. The end."

Naruto sensed how nervous the pinkette was so he decided it was wise not to bombard her with questions right now, even though it itched him to do the exact opposite. He needed to know what happened between Uchiha and her last night, since she seems to be somehow affected by it.

"How about some music?" Sakura suggested as she turned on the radio and smiled as she heard Gotye's song coming from the car's speakers. She patted her thighs to the rhythm of the song before it reached to its chorus. That was when she started singing at the top of her lungs.

"But you didn't have to cut me off!

Make out like it never happened and that we were nothing!

And I don't even need your love

But you treat me like a stranger and that feels so rough!"

Naruto listened to her amazed. Just to be sure she was the one singing, he turned his head to watch her. As soon as he saw her lips moving, he pressed the break pedal causing the car to suddenly stop. Since Sakura wasn't wearing her safety belt, she leaned forward and was dangerously close to hurting her head.

"What was that for?" she yelled, shocked by his sudden and totally unexpected move. Sakura saw his lips parting in pure amazement.

"You can sing!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Of course I can sing. But it isn't such a big deal. I don't think it even sounds good…" She ran her hand through her long soft hair as she sighed in annoyance. Naruto's mouth dropped.

"You're kidding, right?" He saw his colleague give him a puzzled look so he decided to continue. Oh well, if he had to state the obvious…"You're voice is amazing! Breathtaking! Why didn't you tell anyone?"

The jade eyed woman blushed as the compliment registered in her mind. Everyone who heard her sing told her she has an extraordinary voice. She didn't know why, but it felt different when Naruto told her. It felt like his opinion was the one that counted the most. She smiled and replied. "I sincerely don't know."

There was a moment of silence before the bartender's eyes widened and a big grin bloomed on his lips. "We need to tell baa-chan about it!" he screamed as he pressed hard on the acceleration, poor Sakura grabbing the seatbelt and fastening it as fast as she could, not wanting to die, at least not before she could actually play the lead. She threw the driver a glare. God, Naruto was full of surprises that day.

* * *

Everybody turned their head to look at him as he passed by them. I mean, who wouldn't? You don't see a guy running around topless-wearing only a pair of track shorts and a white cotton towel wrapped around his neck- everyday, do you? Well, it was pretty mundane for the residents leaving in that area to see him, but they couldn't help but gasp every time he did his morning jogging around the neighborhood. Not only did he look hot all sweaty and with his raven hair messed up that way, but the way he seemed not to give a shit about anything was what most of the female residents- married or not- found very attractive. Most guys would try and act macho and show off in front of them, but not him.

Taking a big breath of air, he took the towel and wiped the sweat of off his forehead. Sasuke had been running around the neighborhood for more than half an hour. It was kind of his everyday wake up routine, but it was also an opportunity to escape from his 'lover's' loud mouth. The raven haired just couldn't put a finger on how Ino could talk so much and act so lovable towards him when no one was around. That wasn't what they initially agreed on.

Running around the corner, he saw his brother's car parked near the high gates surrounding his mansion. He slowed down and took a peak inside the car to see whether Itachi was inside or not. He wasn't. The young Uchiha gritted his teeth. Great! Now not only will Ino attack him with thousands of questions, but his brother is there to annoy him even more. Walking down the path to his home, he couldn't help but think what happened between Itachi and Sakura after they left the bar, and also why his brother was 'pleasing' him with his presence.

Opening the door, he went storming inside to confront his brother only to see him and the blonde laughing, both sitting on the sofa, with a cup of hot coffee in their hands. As soon as Itachi sensed the presence of his little brother, he smiled.

"Sasuke!" he said as he got up, wanting to grab and shake Sasuke's hand. The onyx eyed man raised his brow. He should have known Sasuke would never ever shake his hand. Maybe if he was at his annoying brother's funeral, yes…

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh, impatient as ever! Still hangover?" he winked at his brother as a smirk made its way to his lips. He saw Sasuke slightly turn his head to Ino.

Ino frowned. "You didn't tell me you've been drinking at Itachi's."

Bingo. It was crystal clear that he lied to Ino about where he was last night.

"I didn't." was his immediate answer.

"Not at my place, at least."

Both turned to the older Uchiha in utter surprise. Itachi couldn't help but show off that devilish smile of his as he continued. "We were at the karaoke bar."

Sasuke gulped. His brother was going to ruin everything because if Ino knew about Sakura, there would be a very big fight. Oh, and also one major detail…she was working with Sakura. The raven haired knew Ino was capable of getting rid of her just by clapping her hands. So, in order to avoid being in that kind of mess, the younger Uchiha brutally grabbed his brother's forearm and dragged him outside, ignoring Ino's shouting. As he closed the door behind them, Sasuke released his arm.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

Itachi put on an innocent look and pointed towards himself. "Did I do anything wrong?"

"Stop playing fucking games, god damn it!"

"What games, brother?" the older Uchiha said as he suddenly became serious. "Telling the truth is what you consider ' a game'?"

"I'm not talking particularly about this, you piece of shit!" he hissed, trying hard to hold back from hitting his damn brother's face.

"My, my, since when do you use such strong language, Sasuke-chan. You think father would have been proud of you?"

As soon as he heard about his father, something snapped inside him. In an instant he threw a punch towards his brother, his fist coming in contact with his jaw. Itachi stumbled a little, but manage to regain his balance. Taking his hand to touch his jaw, he felt something streaming down his chin and realized he was bleeding.

"Wow, I didn't believe you would actually get so angry." Itachi took his shirt's sleeve and wiped the blood off. "And over a stranger…"

Frown.

"Excuse me?"

"Don't play stupid, Sasuke. You know who I'm talking about."

Indeed, Sasuke knew.

"Look, Sasuke. I know you have a thing for Sakura. You can see it from a mile. Only your girlfriend is too trapped in her own perfect world full of you and refuses to see it."

"You know that's not true…"

Itachi smirked. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed how obsessed she is with you. Since you gave her the ring she seems to be even more obsessed, if possible. She wasn't like that before."

"Wait, she told you about the ring?"

"Yeah. Of course, I told her I gave them to you as a joke." He sighed. "Anyway, she wouldn't have taken them too seriously. You know why…" Itachi shoved his hands in his pockets and turned around, deciding it was time he left. "Anyway.." he stopped in his tracks "I think you should know Sakura isn't the kind of woman that falls into your arms that easily." The raven haired turned his head and smiled. "Especially since she knows how much of a playboy you are."

A vein popped on Sasuke's forehead. He could feel his hands turn into tight fists. "What?"

"Nothing!"

* * *

**I want to apologize for not updating earlier, it's just that I had 0 inspiration, and whenever I had some, it was either late at night, when I was trying to get some sleep, either when my little brother was on the computer…or sometimes even at school.**

**I know I said since vacation started I will have more time to write…The point is that my vacation will be full. Like really full. Recently I've decided I wanted to go to medical school and I have to learn all this chemistry and biology books until fall, when I'm starting taking private classes, since in a year's time I will take my admission exam…**

**I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter, even though it was kind of boring…But I can guarantee you that in the next chapter, there will be a lot of things going on and twists.**

**Please share your thoughts regarding this chapter/story.**

**Thank you!**

**PS- The next chapter will probably be up this week, since I'm staring studying in July.**

**Also, sorry for grammatical errors and misspellings!**


	7. Chapter 7

**I want to thank those who took their time to review the previous chapter and also those who read the story! So, thank you :3 I love you!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor Jessica Cornish's song "Sexy Silk".**

* * *

**Mermaid Motel**

**~Chapter 7~**

* * *

Sitting at a table in the front row, Tsunade waited patiently, along with the other dancers for Sakura to finish singing her song on the stage. Since there was no music playing in the back, they could easily hear any small mistakes she made, which were not many, considering the fact that Sakura had taken canto lessons 6 years ago. Of course, as Naruto burst into her office and told her her newest dancer could actually sing, she was pretty skeptical. But now, after hearing her live, she was certain Naruto was right. Tsunade raised her hand in an attempt to make the pinkette stop.

"That's enough, Sakura. Thank you. You can come here."

With hesitant steps, the dancer made her way towards the table her boss was currently at. Waiting patiently with her hands behind the back to hear the review, Sakura couldn't help but wonder what she has done wrong for the honey eyed woman to make her stop. She looked into her eyes and gulped. Maybe taking Naruto's advice wasn't such a good idea, after all. She saw Tsunade place her arms on the table, intertwining her fingers as she cleared her voice.

"Well, it was obvious that your singing needs some small improvements. And along with that, you also need to work on your confidence because let's face it: you don't have the same confidence in you as when you are dancing. Your voice is shaky, but with practice, you can overcome it." Sakura couldn't help but smile and sigh in relief. She really thought she had messed up. "However, it is clear as daylight that your voice doesn't compare with Ino's and Karin's, especially for this role. Your voice is even better than their and perfect for the song I planned for you." The rosette took her hands to her chest where she could feel her heart beating uncontrollably. "When I hear you sing, I think of something sexy, extremely sensual. As I said before, perfect for the song. Your voice will sound even better than the voice on the CD. It will catch everyone's attention. And I'm glad. I'm glad because we could still make our live performances, despite the singers being on holiday."

Everyone in the room applauded, some louder than the others. Of course, Naruto was the loudest. Again, he helped his friend's dream come true and was proud of him, now more than ever. She was so euphoric, her smile lighting the entire room, making his heart skip a beat.

"I'm glad to hear that Tsunade-sama." Sakura bowed. "I'm honored for the opportunity and I promise I won't let you down."

Running pass the other dancers and Tsunade, the green eyed woman then jumped in Naruto's arms, embracing him tightly as they spun around. She giggled and kissed his cheek, thanking him over and over again. Tsunade watched them with a sweet smile on her face, whilst the other girls looked at Sakura with knives instead of eyes.

"Ok, everybody!" The blonde woman clapped her hands to gain everyone's fully attention. "We need to start practicing for tonight's performance. And since Karin isn't here yet, you will practice on the instrumental only. I'm sure you all know the lyrics already, so it will be easy for you. Now go and change. Not you Sakura! You come here. I need to talk to you about next week."

Sakura, along with Naruto, took a seat next to Tsunade, who was holding in her hands an envelope. The dancer turned her head to her colleagues and notice they were whispering to each other while looking in her direction. She bit her lip and decided to ignore them. Maybe they weren't gossiping about her…

"Now" her boss hit the table with the envelope "I need to describe to you how it's all going to be." She opened the envelope and gave Sakura a piece of sheet on which a song was written along with the musical notes. "This is what you have to learn until next week. Well, preferably, until tomorrow, so we can stat practicing the moves."

The pinkette took the sheet and read the title out loud. "Mermaid Motel?"

"Yes. Basically, you will have to sing this in a really sensual manner, and at some point you will have to whisper, but you don't have to worry. I wrote the link for the song on the other side." Tsunade took another paper from her envelope and gave it to Sakura. "This will be what you will wear at the beginning, before you will strip down."

Both Naruto's and Sakura's face fell off. Stripping? No one said anything about stripping! Of course, while Sakura was worrying that everybody will have the chance to see her naked body, the blonde beside her was kind of excited and also a bit jealous and worried. Who knows how many sick horny bastards will be present there and how many of them would fantasize about Sakura while they are masturbating. Naruto shivered at the thought.

"Strip down?" Sakura asked, her face flushed. "In front of all those people?"

Tsunade patted her on the shoulder to calm her down. "Darling, we've had worse." Sakura couldn't believe her ears. She had been working there as a waitress for the past two months and not a single time was a girl stripped down during a show. "And don't worry, you won't be fully exposed." Tsunade tried to assure her. Suddenly, the door opened to reveal a tall red haired, making her way through the tables, looking as if she just stepped off a catwalk. As soon as Tsunade spotted her, she got up from her seat and went to talk to her.

"Tsunade-sama?"

"We'll talk later, Sakura. Now go and get ready for rehearsals!"

* * *

After the incident with Itachi, Ino became very suspicious of Sasuke. He was acting very strange since they came back from the club. It was maybe because he had drunk something more than he indented there? Maybe he got pissed off by someone there, other than his brother? The blonde also couldn't figure out why Sasuke would go to a karaoke club. Maybe he wanted to escape the crowd in his house? It was because of the stupid joke Itachi made with those engagement rings? Maybe, just maybe, he went there to meet someone?

The last two questions Ino put to herself seemed to be the most reasonable reasons. As he saw the rings, he wanted to make himself clear he isn't going to ever be tied down to a single person, especially her, and went to bang a chick. It all made sense, right? I mean, that is what Sasuke always does. He bags chicks. Even her. And of course, without putting any feelings in it. That was how Sasuke worked, and Ino understood him perfectly. It started to bother her now that she fell for him even more. Maybe if the raven haired knew, he would do something about it. If he only knew she wasn't faking it…not like he does.

"Where are you going?" she asked him as she saw him opening the front door. The blonde saw him turn his head to look at her before he got out and closed the door behind him. Sigh. Yeah. That was the same old Sasuke.

Looking at her watch, she realized it was almost time for Karin's show to start. At least she will be able to talk it over with her after the show and ask for some advices, not that Karin was the perfect candidate for something like that.

* * *

There was so much riot in the backstage, you couldn't hear what the person next to you said even if he/she screamed. Sakura felt slightly uncomfortable as most of the dancers started at her and threw her glares. She decided to ignore them as much as possible, even if it bothered her. 'It must be because of the new show and because I'm new…"

"Three minutes girls!" Tsunade shouted as she walked passed them, heading towards the pinkette. "How are you feeling?"

"Ok, I guess."

"Not 'ok'. You should feel bad and sexy and super provocative in this outfit."

Yes, Sakura felt very provocative in her outfit. Who wouldn't feel provocative wearing a black, all latex costume similar with what Halle Berry wore in 'Catwoman'? Thank god the dancer didn't have a whip! Who knew how many people she would have injured, including herself?

"One minute, darling. You better feel sexy on the stage or else…" Tsunade winked as she went to talk to the other dancers. Sakura sighed in relief. Finally, her boss left. She took a peek though the curtain to see just how may people arrived to make sure she won't hesitate on the stage. She scanned the room and spotted Itachi sitting at the bar, apparently talking to a blonde girl. Looking at the front rows, she saw a man sitting alone at the table with a drink in his hand. At first, she didn't recognize him, but as soon as she did, her blood had frozen within her veins.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no…" she covered her face, trying to hide her burning cheeks. "What is he doing here?" she whispered to herself, chewing on her inner lip. Suddenly, the music started and the red curtain slowly went up. She went near the other dancers and stood in her place, her exposed back facing the audience. As soon as the beat started, they slowly turned around and started clapping their hands as they made way to the star. Of course Karin wasn't dressed as the other dancers. God knows why Tsunade chose to give her a smaller version of the outfits they were wearing and also dyed in hot pink. She took the microphone to her lips and started singing as the girls behind her started swaying their hips from one side to the other, while their hands were resting on their waist.

"_Boy I will be your sexy silk_

_Wrap me around, round, round, round."_

The girls started taking small steps towards the front of the stage where they surrounded the singer and started to fall to the ground, one after another, supporting their bodies only on their elbows.

"_I'll be your pussycat licking your milk right now_

_Down, down, down!" _

The dancers in the front then stood on their knees, with their back very arched, showing off their hand as if it was a feline's paw before they licked their lips.

"_Oh a kiss can last all night!_

_You'll have to seduce me, nibble and bite…_

_Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow_

_Boy, you're gonna win!_

_Say yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah_

_You're under my skin_

_I've got butterflies within_

_Ohhhh! I think I like you."_

* * *

As soon as the performance was over, Sakura ran of the stage and was about to reach the dancer's room when somebody suddenly embraced her from behind. She turned her head to see who it was, thinking that maybe it was Naruto, when she saw the face of the person she really didn't want to see ever again. She opened her mouth to say something, but was instantly covered by Sasuke's hot lips. Almost as if she was burned, Sakura jumped and tried to release herself from his strong grip and tempting kiss. However, she failed. 'He's going to get married, god damn it! You can't do this, Sakura!' But his lips were so moist and so soft and his kiss so fiery that she couldn't resist and in the end, she had to give in.

"What do we have here?"

Both of them froze and immediately parted as they heard that voice. They saw Karin standing there, her arms crossed on her chest, with a big grin on her face. "You guys really need to rent a room." She took a step closer to look at Sasuke. "You got yourself a piece of hot stuff, girl. Keep him close." the red haired winked as she went passed them and into her own room to get changed.

There was a moment of silence before Sakura decided to speak up. "Ok, just so you know, earlier was a mistake."

Sasuke arched his brows. "Didn't like it?" he smirked as he grabbed Sakura's waist and pulled her closer to him. The dancer bit her lip and blushed as she pushed him away from her.

"I did. But I can't-"

"Why did you slap me last night?"

Frown.

"Because you were a total ass? Hours ago, your brother told me you want to propose to Ino, and you dare kiss me?"

The coal eyed man smirked as he tilted his head. "My brother is the real ass here. I didn't-" He was reduced to silence as soon as Sakura's palm made contact with his cheek. Sasuke noticed how pissed off she was when he referred to his brother as being the 'ass' in this situation. The pinkette turned around to leave when she felt Sasuke's hand grab her shoulder.

"Leave me the fuck alone Sasuke, ok? Go and fuck some other girl." She turned her head and shoved his hand from her shoulder. "Ino doesn't deserve this."

* * *

**Wow, I actually finished this in 3 hours? Must be some kind of record! Whoho! Yeah, I kind of lost my inspiration with this last part between Sakura and Sasuke. Oh well, I will compensate with what happens in the next chapter, if you know what I mean. *wink**wink***

**Thank you for reading! It would be wonderful if you consider leaving a review, you know, 'cause I get all excited and start writing right away, like I did for this chapter xD**

**Thank you!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer- I don't own Naruto, or Lana Del Rey's song "Mermaid Motel"**

* * *

**Mermaid Motel**

**~Chapter 8~**

* * *

The blonde was already on her fourth glass of Martini. She took the glass in her hand and immediately threw the alcoholic drink down her throat. Itachi watched amazed at how this woman would drink Martini as if it was water. He examined her face, looking for some sign of nausea. He now regretted ever telling her where Sasuke had been and with whom. He watched her as she raised her index finger in the air, telling the bartender to give her another glass.

"Ino, I think this is enough." he said as he took her hand and placed it gently on the counter.

"No, Itachi, it isn't enough." And as soon as Naruto brought her the glass, she took it and was about to drink it if it wasn't for Itachi who immediately took the drink from her.

"I don't get it. Why are you punishing yourself? You shouldn't care."

The baby blue eyed woman let her head rest o the counter, tears forming in her eyes. "I know, but what if the media finds out that he's chasing another girl? Can you imagine what kind of scandal there will be in the media? Everybody in the world knows Sasuke is a damned playboy, but since he's in a supposed relationship, they are all waiting for him to give in so they will have something to write and talk about."

"But Ino, how do you know he came along for Sakura? I mean, I was her date for the night. Sasuke told me he just wanted to escape the party because it was overwhelming."

Ino started laughing drunkly, raising her head from the cold surface. She suddenly felt very dizzy and was about to lose her balance on the high chair if it wasn't for the Uchiha who caught her just in time. "You know Sasuke hates you. No offence! But he does. He would rather do anything else than spend time with you." She tried grabbing the Martini glass, but Itachi slapped her hand playfully and gave her the look your mother gives you when you try drinking more than you are allowed on New Year's. "It's obvious he went with you two for Sakuja…"

"Sakura." he corrected.

"Whatever, I'm drunk."

Itachi shook his head. "Even if he went for her, they didn't do anything." he lied, thinking that Ino will feel at least a little better. It didn't take long for the singer to reply, catching the attention of those sitting at the bar and near it.

"But he thought of what he would do to her! I'm certain! Thinking of how to fuck her brains out, the least!"

"Calm down."

"Why should I calm down? He always did that and will always do it. It's just how he works, you know…" She then rubbed her eyes, forgetting she was wearing mascara and eyeliner. Itachi grabbed her head and told her to stay still, while he took a tissue from the counter and started cleaning her face. At the same time, Ino started telling Itachi about earlier when Sasuke left the house without saying a thing. "Do you think he went to fuck someone?" she whispered as a tear rolled down her cheek.

Itachi smiled. "Stop being so pessimist. I'm sure Sasuke went to his office to do something…"

"Or someone. Maybe the secretary!" Ino gasped as she took her hand to her mouth. The Uchiha sighed. God, this woman was incredible.

"Sasuke doesn't have any secretary, dear."

"Who said anything about his secretary? There are loads of secretaries in your company! Maybe they are all having sex with him! Like in a harem!"

Itachi had heard enough. The alcohol had been talking for too long. She needed to go home and rest. The raven haired made a sign to the bartender to come over to where he was.

"Can you please call me a cab?"

"Sure." Naruto simply answered as he went to grab the phone and form the number.

"Nooo!" Ino whined. "I don't want to go home!" She grabbed Itachi's shoulders and started shaking him. "Please Itachi! Tonight, I want to get super wasted and find myself a guy whom I can take home to fuck. In Sasuke's room, preferably. On his bed." Then, the blonde gasped as she was hit by inspiration. "What about on his favorite songs? He would get so mad!" Ino grinned as she leaned closer to Itachi, her hand now resting on his chest, while the other was now massaging his neck. "How about you being that someone?" she purred in his ear, before she kissed his cheek. "It would make your little brother so mad…"

"You know what? I bet you would regret ever doing it in the morning." he replied, taking her hands off of him and holding them into his.

"The cab will be here in 3 minutes." Naruto said as he took the empty glasses off the counter. Itachi nodded and got up from his seat. "Come on, Ino."

When Ino was about to get up from the chair, she heard Karin's voice behind her and felt her hands around her neck.

"Hey there, sexy babe. Going already?"

"Yeah, she's going." Itachi answered as he left some money on the counter for both his drinks and Ino's. He helped her get up and keep her balance. He saw Karin inspecting him from head to toe before licking her lips.

"Damn, what with all you girls getting hot guys today? First that Sakura and now you? I'm so jealous!"

"What's with Sakura?" Itachi asked as he took a step closer to the red haired. "She's with someone?"

"Yeah! They were totally making out in the backstage. That was before I interrupted them, hehe." The crimson eyed woman frowned as she realized how much this man resembled to the one the pink haired was kissing. "If I come to think of it, that guy looks pretty much like you. Apart from the hair. He's isn't as long as yours and it's spiky in the back."

Itachi cursed. Why right now? He was kind of happy for his brother that he actually managed to get his hands on the pinkette, however, the information couldn't come in a worse moment. He felt Ino squeezing his hand as hard as she could before she let go of his hand and stumble walked towards the backstage. Itachi decided to follow her, knowing that the situation might turn really ugly. He felt remorseful for both Sakura and Sasuke. Ino, being in the state that she was would easily make a really big scene in front of everyone, not giving a shit what the rest thought of her afterwards. Walking in the backstage, she went storming to the dancers' room, hoping they will still be there. To her disappointment and Itachi's relief, they were not there. Ino interrogated every single person she saw trying to find out where they would be hiding. She saw a couple of dancers walking towards the back door and decided to run after them, stumbling all the way to them, Itachi always running behind her.

"Have you girl's seen Sakura or my boyfriend?"

"You mean Sasuke Uchiha?" one of them asked, just to be sure.

"Duh!"

"We saw them in front of our room 15 minutes ago. They were arguing about something. Well, mostly, the new girl. She was screaming at him to leave her alone. It seems she knew about him dating you and told him to drop it because you don't deserve this."

Ino frowned, but then relaxed. She blinked several times before a smirk appeared on her lips. She inhaled deeply. Suddenly, she was feeling better. A lot better. She turned her head towards Itachi for a split second before her gaze returned to the dancers. "Thanks."

* * *

Sakura was sitting in front of her vanity, making the last touches with her fluffy brush. She examined herself in the mirror. She was unrecognizable. Her body was painted in white, making her skin look like porcelain, while her intense make-up was similar with what a geisha would usually wear. The creamy pink blush on her cheeks, the thick black line above and below the eyes, the blood red lipstick…it all fit perfectly. Her hair was pulled up in a messy bun, with some curly locks hanging loose every here and there. She looked pretty provocative, and she wasn't even wearing something sexy. Her body was wrapped around in emerald sheets of silk of different lengths. Sakura laughed as she figured out she looked exactly like a decayed mummy.

The pinkette bit her lip. The last week had passed so quickly, she couldn't believe tonight was her night. Her time to shine. She rehearsed all day and all night while also doing the regular shows. She was exhausted and all she hoped for was that it was worth it and that she won't make a big fool out of herself. Above this stress, she still had Sasuke on her mind. Since last week when he kissed her, he was present every night at the club, and was always in the backstage when she would exit the stage. She was lucky, though, because her colleagues were always there, so Sasuke couldn't make a move. Of course, she needed to always remind him that no matter how much he insisted, she won't give herself to him. And of course, Sasuke would always reply that she won't be able to resist him for too long. Pffft! Like that was ever going to happen! Even though it was a little true what he kept telling her. Since that night when she had that dream about him, she started having those kinds of dreams every night, some wilder than the others. She sometimes was afraid to fall asleep, because she was certain Sasuke will be in them. Now every time she saw him, she would blush wildly and remember every detail from her dreams, thinking if it really would be like in them. If his kisses would be as passionate, if his touches are actually as rough as she feels them in her dreams…

Sakura turned her head as she heard giggles behind her only to see the other dancers talking to each other while their eyes were set on her. She turned her head back to her vanity and took a big breath of air. 'Ignore them, Sakura.'

"I wonder what she had to do to have her own show."

"Rumor has it that she bribed Tsunade."

"That's bullshit! I bet it's because she dates those Uchiha's. I saw her leaving with one of them on her first night as a dancer."

"Yeah, maybe you're right! I mean, I saw her kissing with Ino's boyfriend the second night."

"What a slut. Poor Ino."

"And let's not forget she is in very good relationships with Tsunade's nephew, the bartender!"

"It's totally clear that she slept with him."

The pinkette hit the vanity with her fist, making all the other dancers jump from their seats. She got up from her seat and turned around, making her way towards her colleagues, her hands bowled in fists.

"It seems that you are all interested in how on freaking Earth I got the role! You want to know? I'll tell you!" She stopped in front of them. "It's because I slept with someone? No! It's because I bribed the boss? No! It's because I have a freaking thing called talent! Ever heard about it? You can consider me a slut, go ahead. I know I'm not and that's the only thing that matters! And while you all are thinking of theories about how Sakura got the role and not doing something to get promoted, I get it all." And with that said, Sakura went out of the room and slammed the door behind her, leaving the girls with their mouth wide open. She saw Tsunade standing casually against the wall opposite to the dancers' room and smirked while exhaling. "It feels so fucking great! I've been listening and not saying anything for a whole week. I still can't believe I've actually done it!"

The honey eyed woman smiled. "I was wondering when volcano Sakura will erupt."

* * *

The young Uchiha was sitting at his regular place near the stage. He needed to take a good look of the woman he will soon claim as his, especially now that she has the lead role. For him, that last week passed awfully slow. He would usually stay at his office or at home and count the minutes until he would get to see the pinkette who had repetitively declined his offer. He would sometimes find himself thinking how on Earth would a woman -a single woman- make him go crazy about her. He wouldn't usually follow the same woman for so long, but there was something about Sakura that he couldn't quite understand. She admitted she liked him, but refuses to be with him because it wouldn't be fair for Ino. If only he got the chance to tell her what was actually going on between him and the blonde, but every time he tried, she would disappear out of sight or shout at him, lecturing how unfair it is to cheat on the person you want to spend your whole life with and trying to make him feel miserable for what he does to poor Ino.

But not tonight. Tonight, he will do the talking.

The lights in the club dropped, and the song started. Sasuke could hear a humming, but couldn't see Sakura because of the curtain. As soon as the curtain went up and the spotlight was on the pinkette, the raven haired licked his lips. She looked so delicious in that dress, with her hands on the microphone and her bloody lips so near to it, he could hear her breathing. Suddenly, it hit Sasuke. She was actually going to perform live. He couldn't wait to hear her sweet honey voice singing the lyrics to this song, which reminded him of those extremely sensual songs he often heard in movies. He saw her starting to slowly sway her hips from one side to the other, her hands running up and down the microphone that was similar to the one Avril Lavigne sang to in her video for 'Hot'.

_"Maybe we can go to Coney Island…"_

As soon as Sasuke heard her voice, his breath was caught in his throat. He closed his eyes trying to stay cool, focused, but the voice she had was enough to make him jump on the stage and kidnap her. He imagined how she will whisper his name in the same sensual manner, filling him with lust, wanting to keep that angelic voice to himself.

_"Maybe I can sing the national anthem…_

_I, the white sweater, for the last white day…"_ she stopped moving her hips and stood still before she continued _"of the summer"_ And as soon as the beat dropped, she dropped to the floor, taking the cable of the microphone in her hand, paying with it as she got back up, looking for a split second in Sasuke's eyes before she looked at the metal object she held in her hand.

"Buy my purple wig, for my mermaid video

Walked back to where I lived in the motel

I'll never tell" she shook he head before she closed her eyes slowly, licking her lips. _"Never knew…"_ she whispered as she let go of the microphone, her hands high above her head, placing her wrists together as if she was handcuffed.

_"You call me lavender, you call me sunshine"_ She started moving her hands on her body, from the back of her neck, down her breasts until she reached her hips.

_"You said take it off."_ Suddenly, a dancer came towards Sakura, grabbed a piece of the green material and made a pirouette, causing one of the 6 pieces to slide off of Sakura, leaving her legs exposed up to her mid thigh and Sakura to gasp in shock. All the men in the club whistled and applauded, while Sasuke was grabbing the arm or his seat and holding it tight. He unbuttoned the first 2 buttons of his shirt as he suddenly became hot.

_"You call me lavender, you call me sunshine_

_You said take it off."_ Again, another dancer came on the scene and slid off a piece of material, this time from her chest. _"Take it off._"

_"And you salute me, Miss America_

_Because I am, I am…_

_You call me lavender, you call me sunshine_

_You said take it off. Take it off."_ Another one came and took two pieces wrapped around her middle.

_"Maybe we can go to Coney Island_

_Maybe I can sing you to sleep"_ Again, she ran her hands all over her body, moving the material that was covering her legs much higher.

_"God bless the Universe, God bless the ocean"_ The pinkette took both her hands and presented the sky, then the stage.

_"God bless you"_ She closed her eyes, her expression full of emotion, and pointed out some random man, who surprisingly turned out to be no other than the mighty Sasuke Uchiha. _"And God bless me…"_ She took her hands and placed them on the left side of her chest when her heart was.

_"You call me lavender, you call me sunshine_

_You said take it off…"_ That was when two girls came on stage with two huge feathered fans and simultaneously took both remaining sheets of material, Sakura gasping and immediately covering herself with her hands before the lights were off when the dancers covered her up.

Everybody in the club was ecstatic. For five whole minutes they applauded and whistled and called her name, making Sakura blush and feel so good about herself. She looked in the audience, secretly hoping for Sasuke to be there and applaud her as well. When she saw that his seat was empty, she felt disappointed. She started wondering whether she had really seen him earlier or was it just her imagination. She sent kisses all over the room and took a bow, holding to her fans tight so it won't show anything. She went in front of the microphone.

"I love you all! Good night!"

She then ran in the backstage to get changed. There, she was awaited by Tsunade, the other dancers and all the technicians who applauded her and congratulated her, the blonde instantly embracing the pinkette, kissing her on the cheek.

"It was marvelous, Sakura! I'm glad I gave you the role."

At her boss's words, Sakura started crying of joy. Nothing compared with what the dancer felt in that moment. She wiped the tears away and thanked Tsunade.

"You don't have to thank me. Thank Naruto right after you take a shower! This white paint is starting to peel off."

Said and done. First Sakura went in her room to get her towels and her strawberry scented shower gel and went in the bathroom at the second floor to wash away the paint. She entered the cabin and turned on the hot water. She slightly moaned as the hot droplets massaged her tensed skin. She heard the bathroom door open, but chose to ignore it. Maybe she was starting to hear things. She closed her eyes and let the water moist the paint so it will be easier to get off. As soon as she heard the cabin's door slowly opening she decided to take a look and see whether she forgot to close it properly. She gasped as she saw Sasuke getting in while being fully dressed, holding her in a strong embrace while catching her mouth with his own.

* * *

**Tum-tum-tum! Left you on an itsy bitsy cliff-hanger, didn't I? Well, I had to stop here, since I've been writing for 5 hours with no break whatsoever and I need to eat something.**

**Also, I want to thank those who reviewed! I hope I didn't disappoint you with this long chapter!**

**I hope you enjoyed reading it. Please review and tell me your opinion!**

**Thank you!**

**Ps- Sorry for mistakes, I was in a super rush when writing it, and didn't have the chance to re-read it.**

**I'll correct them ASAP ;)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Like usual, I want to thank you for all the wonderful reviews. You guys rock! Lindsay, I hope it's not too late for you to read it! I'm sorry for the delay, but today my whole schedule was a total mess. I can't believe I've actually finished writing it o.O**

**Hope you'll enjoy reading this chapter. Don't get your hopes up just yet. There's almost nothing sexual in it. :P**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto!**

* * *

**Mermaid Motel**

**~Chapter 9~**

* * *

The kiss was nothing like she had imagined it to be. It was way better than the one she had last week and how she dreamed it to be. She opened her mouth, letting Sasuke's tongue slip inside, wanting to see how he actually tasted like and enjoy every drop of it. Who knew when she will be able to kiss him again? She wrapped her arms around her neck, arching her back, trying to get as closer to him as possible. She moaned in his mouth, receiving a smirk from the young Uchiha. Finally, she was giving in. It was about time. She took her hand and grabbed his hair, pulling it hard, making Sasuke grunt as the raven haired began sucking on her lower lip. This whole situation, in combination with the hot water pouring on her naked body made her lose control. It felt too good. Out of the sudden, she felt Sasuke's hands slid from her waist to her thighs, grabbing them hard before he managed to pick her off the ground and wrap her legs around his hips. The pinkette suddenly broke the kiss and looked at Sasuke, her eyes clearly full of lust. Sasuke watched how the water would stream down her figure and drip from her hair, her make-up leaking all the way to her cheeks.

Sakura smiked as she felt Sasuke's erection through his pants. She lowered her head until her lips were next to his ear. "You know, Sasuke-kun…" she whispered hotly in his ear as she slowly started grinding against his boner. "I don't believe a bathroom would be the perfect place to get laid. It's just another cliché." She unwrapped her arms from his neck and cupper his face, her face now very close to his, her hot breath tickling his skin. "Plus, we can't risk getting caught. What will people say when they'll see us one on top of the other? I would lose my job, and Ino would find out all about it. How about we go to my place?"

Sasuke eyed her disbelievingly. Last night, she yelled at him for trying to cheat on Ino, and now she was kind of begging it to happen? However, he couldn't think of it for long as Sakura's continuously grinding on him made him lose focus. Soon, he saw the pinkette getting off him and pushing him out of the cabin.

"I need to finish taking this paint off of me." Sakura examined him from head to toe and smirked. "And you, mister, need to find something else to wear."

Sasuke frowned at first but as soon as he looked at what he was wearing, he found out that not only were his clothes wet, but also stained in white paint in some areas. He licked his lips as he got the chance to finally study her body. Damn, she had a fine body. Not as fine as other women's', but still very attractive. It wouldn't hurt if her breasts were bigger, though…

"I'm certain you will find a suit downstairs in the costume's room." Sakura then slid shut the cabinet's door and proceeded with her washing, leaving Sasuke stare at the door. She figured out it he still was there because she hadn't heard the bathroom's door open. She let out a heavy sigh. "Don't worry; I'll meet you at the bar in 10 minutes. Oh, and you better dry your hair with a towel so it won't raise any suspicions."

Sasuke looked around him and took a towel from the small piece of furniture near the sink and got out. He closed the door behind him and rested against it. Did earlier actually happened? Was this only a hallucination? It was true that he drank about 5 glasses of vodka alone when Sakura was performing, but that woman inside the bathroom didn't feel like her. He took the towel and started drying his hair before he threw it on the floor. Should he wait for her? She did tell she will definitely meet him at the bar, but what if it was just a joke and Sakura would sneak out? The raven haired shook his head. He shouldn't be thinking so damn much. The girl told him she was going to be there! But just to be sure, after he would change, he would walk around the backstage to see if she was telling him the truth.

* * *

As soon as Sakura heard the door close, she stopped washing herself and sat down, letting the water wash down the paint. She covered her face with both her hands as she inhaled deeply. She started hitting her head to the cabin's thick glass walls.

"Stupid, stupid stupid!" The pinkette took her hands and placed them on her chest. She could feel her heart beating so hard, making her wonder how on Earth could her ribcage still stand without breaking. "I can't believe I did that…" At that moment, Sakura was overwhelmed by contradicted feelings. She was euphoric and miserable, lustful and regretful. She felt as if she did something bad, but loved every bit of it.

Now, she had a horny Sasuke waiting for her at the bar. Exactly what she intended to avoid in the first place. Ugh, she hated herself for what she has done. Damned body! Why couldn't it just follow the brain's orders? She blushed madly as she realized how bold she was with him. Sigh. What should she do in this fucked up situation? Well, she had two options. She could either go and entertain herself and Uchiha boy or drop it and exit the scene. Obviously, she chose the second. She wasn't so stupid to do the same mistake again, was she?

Finishing washing herself, she grabbed her long cotton towel and wrapped it tight around her body. She took her shower gel and immediately ran to her room to get dressed before anyone could see her. She put on her peach strapless dress and pulled up her wet hair in a very high pony tale. Taking her purse from her vanity, she slowly walked out of the room, trying to be as silent and undetectable as possible, since she was wearing a pair of very high golden sandals. Being in full alert mode, she carefully made her way to the stage, hiding behind the sparkling curtain, peeking through it to see if Sasuke was at the bar. However, with so many people around it, it was difficult for her to spot him. Sakura decided to drop it and flee the scene as fast as possible, turning around on her heels and running towards the back door. As soon as she reached the street she sighed in relief and managed to relax her shoulders. She took her cell phone from her purse and texted Naruto, saying that she was sorry, but she had to go and that she will talk to him tomorrow. As soon as the message was sent, she dialed the number to a cab company.

"Hello. I would need a cab on Sunshine Avenue, in front of the Midnight Rose club, please. Yes, I can wait. Oh, my name is Sakura. Cab number 169? Ok. Thank you. Have a nice evening."

"So…" she heard someone behind her say as she felt cold hands resting on her exposed shoulders. As soon as she recognized the voice, she gasped, chills running down her spine. "Thought you could fool me, Sa-ku-ra?"

"Just leave me alone, Sasuke!" she barked as she wiggled her shoulders to get those icy hands off. The young Uchiha grabbed her chin and turned her head around for her to be able to see his devilish smirk. "No 'Sasuke-kun'? You do realize it's rude to tell someone to meet you somewhere and for you not to show up, do you?"

Sakura watched his lips part as he said those words, and the only think she thought about was that she must resist the urge to kiss them. But damn, they looked so tempting.

"Who said anything of wanting to meet you?"

He snorted. "You. Remember, in the bathroom? You said and it will be best if we went to your place instead of fucking in there. You said, and I quote 'It's just another cliché'." He took her head closer to his so he could kiss her rosy lips, but instead soft, moist lips, his lips met her palms.

"Please, don't do that again." she whispered, letting her head down. "It was a mistake."

He took her hands from his mouth and held them tight. "You also said that about last week." he smirked. "And let me remember you, it didn't stop you from jumping on me."

Blush.

"I was not!"

Both turned their heads as they heard a car pull over next to them. It was Sakura's cab. The dancer turned around to leave, only to find out that Sasuke wasn't planning on letting her go too easily. "Take me with you."

Faking a smile, Sakura grabbed his collar and took his face closer to hers. "Not a chance, Sasuke."

"Oh, come on! I can't drive. I'm drunk."

"It's none of my business." she simply said as she did a pirouette, opened the cab's door and got inside, shutting it afterwards. She told the driver the address and when he was about to drive off, Sasuke casually opened the door to the backseat and sat next to the coral haired, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. Sakura watched the whole scene amazed. He got inside with so much nonchalance; it was as if Sakura never told him to leave her alone. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked, arching her left eyebrow as the cab drove off from the club.

"Hn." was his only response.

"Oh, now you ignore me? Ok, two can play this-ugh!"

Leaning his head closer to hers, he gently kissed her lips, taking the pinkette completely aback. She didn't expect such gentleness from a man like Sasuke. She wanted to kiss him back with the same tenderness, but that would make her feel guilty. Ino didn't deserve this, no matter how much Sakura craved for him, for one touch of his, for one night with him. Sasuke was willing to give her all this, but she was too stubborn to accept. She didn't want to be that kind of woman that has an affair with an engaged man. She didn't want to be like that woman that torn her family apart when she was younger.

The raven haired, noticing Sakura wasn't going to reply to his gesture pretty soon, decided to end the kiss and look straight into her big apple green eyes. He saw the sorrow written in her eyes and pulled her closer to him, trying to comfort her.

"Ino doesn't deserve this, Sasuke…You know that and I know that. So let us just forget everything that happened between us and move on with our lives. You're going to marry her, and I will focus on my career."

Sasuke smirked, but decided to let her finish what she needed to say. Now, it was his turn to talk.

"Sakura…Ino and I aren't engaged."

"Yet, but Itachi-san said-"

"Screw Itachi." He grabbed her chin and started caressing her soft cheek with his thumb. "He was just mocking me. Ino and I are only friends. It's only a masquerade." He saw the woman in his arms frown, clearly confused, silently begging for some details as she failed to understand. "I had to do it for the company's image and Ino decided to help." The young Uchiha saw a glimpse of relief in her eyes as she cupped his face and brought it to hers. She brushed her lips against his, carefree. The kiss easily turned from gently to bruising, both of them shifting their positions on the backseat, trying hard to control their actions, imploring to arrive to Sakura's place as soon as possible. To their disappointment, the need for air made them part, an opportunity which Sasuke took advantage of.

"Sakura." he whispered, holding the woman's chin up. "Be my private dancer."

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**Yeah, I just wanted to let you know that I won't be uploading any chapters until next week because I'll be out of town until Sunday, having some fun in the sun ^^**

**Please review, if you want sexy in the next chapter ;) Whatever, there will be a lot of sexy going on anyway, whether you review or not. But pretty please. Do it for me. *puppy eyes***

**Thank you!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot!**

* * *

**Mermaid Motel**

**~Chapter 10~**

* * *

Sakura was searching desperately for the keys in her purse as Sasuke was placing wet kisses on the crook of her neck. His body was so close to her back, his arms wrapped around her petite waist, pulling her frantically to him so their bodies could touch. Sakura bit back a moan as she let her head back, enjoying the blissful sensation of his lips on her exposed skin. Her hand roamed around the small purse until she felt the cold metal against her skin. She immediately grabbed them and tried opening the door, the poor woman failing in introducing the silver key in the keyhole. She felt Sasuke turning her around so he could kiss her mouth-watering lips while grabbing the key from her fingers. The kiss was intense, deepened by the second as Sakura's arms were wrapped around his long neck as a scarf, pulling him in. Eyes closed, the young Uchiha managed to unlock the door and open it, both falling harshly on the wooden floor before he kicked the door close. His hands were already exploring her creamy thighs, wanting to memorize every inch of the silk strawberry scented skin. He was crushing her with his weight, but the pinkette didn't seem to mind. In fact, it was turning her on even more to feel his body so close to hers, not a single gap between them.

Reaching her hips, he flipped the dress's peachy satin material over her abdomen, exposing her white lace underwear. His lips left hers while gently moving off of her. Confused, Sakura rested on her forearms to see what he was up to. She saw him parting her legs, settling his body in between them, while his rough hands were holding her hips still. Suddenly, she felt a pair of moist lips kissing her lower abdomen, making her explode with excitement, her skin now covered in goose-bumps. She wrapped her legs around his form, holding him close to her, never wanting to let go of him. The rosette let her head fall back. It felt so freaking good!

With his thumbs, Sasuke managed to lower the underwear's lace margin, leaving kisses on the newly exposed skin, sending Sakura waves of pleasure through her body. "Ahhh-rRAHH!" Feeling his lips so close to her core, she started to feel uncomfortable and wiggled out of his grip as her legs unwrapped themselves from around his chest. Sasuke looked up to see what was up with this woman.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he placed his hand on her cheek, caressing smoothly her burning skin. She didn't look at him. Instead, he saw her look outside the window at the midnight sky.

"Nothing!" she smiled, arranging her ponytail and covering her thighs. Sasuke eyed her questioningly before a smirk appeared on his lips, removing his hand from her cheek, resting it on her mid thigh.

"Hn." He started moving his fingers across the smooth skin. "It seems someone doesn't want to get fully pleased."

Sakura laughed. "Well, I don't know how pleased you get when you see a woman taste your semen, but I refuuu-" She felt Sasuke's tongue lick his way up where the dress ended. "-uuse to let that happen to me!" The pinkette gulped as she saw the lustful expression on the man's face.

"Scared of experiencing?" he whispered, leaning over her slim body, kissing her chest, while his hand was running up her inner thigh until it reached her underwear. Sakura could feel the heat gathering down there. She bit her lip. "Even the last two numbers of the cab predicted it will happen tonight..." Oh, his hot breath on her skin drove her crazy. In a moment, she took his head in her hands and kissed him passionately as she forced him to return to the position they were previously in. As he was returning the kiss, he took his hand to his inner pocket of his jacket to take out a condom. He mentally cursed as he remembered he forgot them in the other suit at the club. Great, now what?

Sakura noticed Sasuke's lack of enthusiasm in the kiss and immediately broke it, cupping the raven man's face in her warm hands. "Is there something wrong?"

"The condoms…"

Sakura laughed lightly. "Condoms? You'll find them in the second drawer on the mirror's left." She saw the young Uchiha's kind of pissed expression on his face. "What? A woman must always be prepared for moments like this."

_Two hearts are beating together_

_I'm in love, whoo! I'm in love, whoo!_

"Aren't you going to answer that?" the onyx eyed asked as he got off her and helped her get up. He saw Sakura nod and decided to let her alone with whoever was calling her at that time, while going to grab a condom. He opened the drawer's tiny door and looked for the pack. He was stunned to see more than three boxes open, two of them already empty. He could feel his blood pressure rise. Was she really that active? When was her last time? Was it recently? Like when he was chasing her?

Sakura grabbed her cell from her purse and answered, not bothering to look at the caller's ID. She heard loud music in the background and the voice of her blonde friend.

"Oh, hey Naruto!" she greeted with a smile on her face. She wasn't really paying attention to what the bartender was saying, being too busy to look at Sasuke through the bathroom's opened door. She didn't see him move from place so she began worrying. 'What's wrong with him?'

"Saaaakura! Piiiinky!"

"Yeah?" the rosette asked as she returned her attention to the voice on the other line.

"Would you let me? I mean, I know it's kinda late, but these things happen without warning, you know?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know." No, if fact she didn't. She didn't even know what the blonde was talking about, but decided to agree.

"So, can I? Pretty please with cherry on top?"

"Yes, Naruto, you can."

"Whoa, thanks, Sakura! You're the best!"

Hanging up, she made her way to the bathroom to confront the raven haired. She saw him staring at those boxes. Sakura sighed. She knew what he was thinking. "They've been there for a while." But why would Sasuke Uchiha care? He was a man whore. He didn't do relationships, only one-night stands. If he was going to leave in the morning, why would he care? She started kissing him on the neck. "Come on, I've thought of a surprise for you." Sakura whispered hotly in his ear, receiving a smirk from the Uchiha. Walking back in the small living room, she pushed him on the sofa. "I advise you to take your jacket off. It's going to get hot in here." she winked as she disappeared in her bedroom. Said and done. Sasuke took the jacked and threw it on the wooden floor. He started unbuttoning his shirt and opened it, revealing his toned and well built torso, then letting himself sink in the comfortable sofa.

"Remember what you've told me in the cab?" he heard the pinkette's voice coming from the bedroom. "That you want me to be your private dancer?" Suddenly, there was a loud music playing from the room. Sasuke didn't know what to expect from her. Maybe it was some kind of joke. But then, he saw her slide on the neat surface, with her curly hair let loose, with a dark smoky eyes make up on, wearing a different dress than the one she had on several minutes earlier. Striking a pose in front of him, Sakura smirked. "Voilà!" She made her way to the sofa as if she was stepping on a catwalk, taking small steps, her hips slowly moving from one side to the other. The emerald eyed woman stopped in her tracks, half a meter from the hungry eyed Uchiha, grabbing the bottom of her short red dress and playing with it. "When I heard you say that in the cab, I thought: 'hm, if I already stripped in front of hundreds of people, I should have no problem doing it again, this time only for you'." Grabbing the zipper on the side, the dancer unzipped her dress and turned around for Sasuke to see the way it slid down her curved body, while moving like a snake to the song's beat.

_Pour some sugar on me_

_Oh, in the name of love!_

_Pour some sugar on me_

_Come on, invite me in_

_Pour your sugar of me_

_Oh, I can't get enough!_

The pinkette turned around for Sasuke to judge the lavender lace lingerie she was wearing, slowly heading towards him. She bent down, on her knees, her head stretched towards him, signaling him to come closer. He leaned his head forward until Sakura grabbed it harsh, her bloody lips barely touching his ears. She then started whispering the lyrics in the same manner she sang at the club. Sasuke could feel he was near the edge.

"_I'm hot, sticky, sweet…_

_From my head to my feet…"_

Before Sasuke could kiss her or do anything else to her, Sakura got up from the cold ground and sat on the coffee table in front of him, the song still playing in the background. She split her legs open and started tracing the way from her hips to her chest with her index and middle finger, biting her lip as she did so. Sakura smirked mischievously as she saw Sasuke's erection thought his dark pants. She took her hands behind her back and opened her bra, the delicate material falling on the ground, next to the man's jacket. The Uchiha couldn't take it anymore. He jumped off the sofa and leaned over the dancer, his hands gripping and caressing her breasts as he crashed his mouth over hers, covering the loud moans the woman was releasing. They were so caught up in their actions that they didn't hear the door open and a bag hitting the floor.

"Oh my god!" the man gasped as he turned his head around, trying hard not to look at the erotic scene before him. As soon as they heard his voice, both stopped kissing or whatever they were doing to look at him. Sasuke instantly got off the pinkette, whist Sakura was trying to cover her exposed chest with her arms. "What the hell is going on in here?"

* * *

**Yeah, so this was it. I know, kind of short, but it's better than nothing! Believe me, I tried writing this chapter for at least 3 times, and never succeeded. Luckily I couldn't sleep last night and wrote down some notes, because apparently, I am full of ideas at night. Especially last night when there was a full moon…hmmm.**

**I have to say that I suck at describing sex. This is just my second M rated story so you must show some mercy xD** **Oh, and about the song. It's called "Pour some sugar on me" and the version I imagined the whole stripping scene was the cover made by The Maine. The first time I heard it last year, I was blushing like crazy at John's eargasmic voice. So, I advice you to listen to it and the songs I used for this story so far, if you haven't listened to them already, that is. Especially "Mermaid Motel".**

**So, since I've started studying, I won't be able to update pretty fast. I will try, however, to finish this story (and others) before school starts. I will say awake at night to write the ideas, and then spend two hours per day writing them on the PC. Piece of cake.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. And don't forget to review! The more, the faster I will update, because you all know me ;)**

**Thank you!**

**P.s.- Sorry for mistakes, etc. I will correct them when I finish studying for today! :D**


	11. Chapter 11

**Thank you so much for your reviews!**

**Sorry for the wait!**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Naruto!**

* * *

**Mermaid Motel**

**~ Chapter 11 ~**

* * *

The two were sitting quietly on the sofa, staring at the small coffee table in front of them. Sakura was certain she won't look at that table the same ever again. She gripped the edges of her deep blue night robe and pulled them closer to her body while clearing her throat, hoping Naruto would get the hint and start talking. Instead of hearing his loud voice, she heard nothing but the alarm of some random car coming through her wide opened window. Naruto just sat there, his elbows resting on his thighs, his mouth covered by his tanned hands. Since he saw them in action, it was as if his voice had decided to take a vacation and simply vanished from his voice box. At first, he seemed shocked, just like any other person would have been if they witnessed what the blonde had. But after she returned in the apartment after having a private talk with Sasuke, he seemed somewhat pissed. And had every right to be, that unless he knew the whole story, which he didn't.

Running her fingers through her messy bubble gum hair, she exhaled. "Naruto…" And before she could even continue, she was silenced by the bartender's raised hand.

"You have no idea how much you've disappointed me, Sakura." he growled as he jerked his face towards her to face the pinkette. "I told you he's not a person to get involved with. He has a reputation, and a not so good one. And besides all that, he has a girlfriend who, I remember you telling me, is his future fiancée."

"Naruto, let me explain…"

"There's nothing to explain. After you've told me that he's stalking you, bothering you with flirts and kisses, I though you would at least stand your ground and not give in." Sakura looked at him and spotted the hint of displeasure in his cerulean eyes. "But I guess I was wrong." The pinkette tried biting back a giggle before it escaped her lips, an attempt she failed in accomplishing. Naruto was taken aback by this sudden action. What was the matter with her? Had she drank too much? "You do realize this whole situation isn't funny at all, right?"

"You know what? You can criticize me as harsh as you want, but there's something that you need to know." She leaned forward and made a sign with her index finger for him to come closer as if she was going to spill the biggest secret of them all. "Sasuke and Ino are only friends."

Naruto backed away a bit, his eyebrows arched. He placed a friendly hand on her shoulder as he shook his head slowly. "You're only telling yourself this so you won't feel guilty."

The rosette pouted. "That's so not true! You know me, Naruto. You know I'm not like that. Anyway, he's faking this whole relationship for the sake of his company's image! That's why I gave up resisting. And plus, I fancy him."

The blonde could feel his stomach turning upside-down at the dancer's words. She fancies him? Him? She knows that damned Uchiha for how much? A week? And she already fancies him. It was crystal clear that his touches and fiery kisses were what drove Sakura to think that way about him. But what about him? What about the poor little bartender? Will she ever notice the powerful feelings he possessed for her?

"Do you want your heart to be broken by that bastard?"

"Naruto!" she screamed as she hit the top of his head with her palm, ruffling his golden locks. "How can you talk like that? Like you've known him since forever? You know nothing about him!"

"Same as you!" he yelled back as he got up from his seat. "Only I know he will leave you after a few fucks." With that said, he went storming in the kitchen, grabbing the edges of the sink in an attempt to calm down. He inhaled deeply. Damn, why did he have to snap at her like that? His intention was to prevent her from being hurt by that fool, but it seems that he was the actual fool here. Suddenly, he felt two warm arms wrapping themselves around his waist and a head resting on his back. He heard her hitched breath and cursed. He felt a tiny wet spot on his t-shirt. She was crying. He felt the arms around him embracing his torso even tighter.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered, biting her inner lip, trying to prevent anymore tears to stream down her porcelain skin. "For hitting you, for talking like that. It's just that I like him so much. Before you came here, I knew he was expecting only a one-nightstand from me, and I agreed. It's better than nothing, right?" she smiled weakly. "When we were talking outside the flat, he told me he would pick me up in the morning and take me to have some breakfast." She turned him around and looked up at him with her red and swollen eyes. "Try giving him a chance. Ok? For me?"

"Ok." He bent his knees a little so he could take her light body in his strong arms, making his way to her bedroom. He heard her laugh as she wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled. "I will give him a chance." he said as he carefully placed her on the neat bed. "But if he tries something funny or dares playing with your big fragile heart, I will be the one to make his life a living hell."

Sakura laughed out loud as she sat on her knees, grabbing Naruto's t-shirt and pulling him towards her with all her force, the man falling next to her on the mattress. They stared into each other's eyes for a while before Sakura decided it was time to speak up. "These are the clothes you usually sleep in?"

"Not a chance. I usually sleep in my boxers…or naked." He grinned as he saw the pinkette's cheeks turn a darker shade of pink. "Kidding! Well, I'll better let you sleep. You have one hell of a day tomorrow." He rested on his forearms and kissed the green eyed woman on the cheek, pretty close to her kiss bruised lips. "Goodnight Pinky." he winked as he got up from the soft mattress and walked towards the bedroom door.

"'Night Straighty!"

His eyes twitched. "What's with that sick nickname?" he turned his head to throw her a glare only to see her showing him her pink tongue. "It's because I told you I wasn't gay?"

"Yep."

"Well, fuck you. It's stupid."

"You asked for it! Interrupting my awesome sex with Sasuke and stuff."

"Hey, payback's a bitch."

* * *

Sasuke waited patiently in his black Toyota Avensis for the pink haired woman. He called her 10 minutes ago, saying that he's in front of her apartment complex and waiting. Her reply? "I'll be there in 3 minutes. I still have to do my make-up!" Tsk. Women. They were all the same. Turning on the radio, he was pleased to hear a familiar tune coming from the speakers. He patted the steering wheel with his index fingers to the rhythm of the song, ignoring the people's stares as they walked pass his car. He sighed as he took another glance at the car's clock. What was that woman doing? She wasn't going to some fancy ball, for God's sake! He took his phone from his jeans and dialed the number Sakura gave him last night. It rang once. Twice.

"Hello?" a male's voice asked. Tsk. That bartender.

"Where's Sakura?"

"Running down the stairs. Nope, she's coming back." Sasuke could hear Sakura's loud voice in the background, yelling that she forgot her cell phone. "Listen here Uchiha, if you do something to hurt her, you're screwed."

"Hn." Sasuke ended the conversation, stuffing the phone back from where he took it. He smirked. Like that moron could possibly take him down. Not that he intended to do something to hurt the pinkette. It was weird for him to do this whole thing. Dating a girl he first intended to bed. He hadn't done it since his parents had passed away. Being the emotional wreck back then, he didn't needed to be in a relationship. Not in one he knew will end soon. He couldn't stand losing people he cared for. But this time, it was different and he knew it. She seemed different. Different from all the chicks that slept with him for his money and looks. He was determined to give Sakura a chance and make sure she was different.

Sasuke was brought back to reality by the sound of the door opening, Sakura getting inside and immediately apologizing.

"Sorry it took so long." She leaned in to kiss the coal eyed man sitting at her left. "I couldn't find my mascara."

"It's ok." he simply replied, looking at the beautiful ruby summer dress she decided to wear and how well it hugged her curved body. The deep v cut exposing a small part of her undersized breasts made Sasuke gulp. "Are you trying to seduce me with this dress?"

"Well, is it working?"

"Do you really want to skip breakfast and sit in bed all day?"

Blush.

"Nope, I'm hungry." She fastened her seatbelt. "Where are we going?"

Starting the engine, Sasuke drove off from the empty park place, heading towards the suburbs. "Somewhere nice."

* * *

"Wow." was all the rosette could manage to say. The restaurant wasn't something extremely fancy, like she expected from a guy such as Sasuke, but a small wooden restaurant on the high hill watching over the big city. The waiter sat them at a table on the porch, making sure their view over the city was perfect.

"What would you like to order?" the young waiter asked as he took the jotter and the pen from his pockets, prepared to take their orders. Sasuke glanced over at Sakura. The apple green eyed woman raised her shoulders while slightly shaking her head. The young Uchiha sighed.

"We'll have two 'Summer Sunset'."

"Ok. Coffee? Tea?"

" Coffee. Black."

"Some lemon tea would be nice."

After the waiter wrote down their orders, he fled to the kitchen. Sakura smiled as she put her elbows on the table, her chin resting on the heels of her hands. Titling her head a little, she looked into his eyes. "What's 'Summer Sunset'?"

"Food."

Glare. "I know it's food, I'm not that dumb. What kind? Would you please make a brief description?"

"Edible."

"Seriously, Sasuke. Why are you mocking me?"

"I enjoy it."

Sakura ran her long fingers through her curly locks while sighing. "You're annoying." Looking to her right to ignore the man, she saw the city and all its tall building standing proud as the sun shone above them. It was breathtaking. She never saw something like it. She examined some tall buildings which she hadn't seen before, telling herself she needs to get out more often and explore the surroundings. More than a third of the city was foreign to her. Pointing out to some building with a very unusual shape, she asked Sasuke what it was.

"The Galery of Modern Art."

"And that one?" she pointed out some other building closer to the suburbs.

"A cinema complex." He watched her eyes move from one side to the other as she sat her arms on the wooden rail next to the table. "You're not from this town, are you?" He saw her turn her head, surprised, shaking it afterward.

"I moved here a couple of months ago, so I don't know much of it, which is a complete shame. I don't have time during the day because of the rehearsals, not to mention at night when I'm drenched of any strength and I go home and sleep."

"You weren't that drenched last night." Sakura blushed as she saw the wicked smirk on the man's face.

"Well, we haven't done anything. Naruto interrupted us, the bastard."

"Hn. You know, you could have kicked him out and we could have continued with what you will soon find out to be the best sex you ever had in your life."

If Sakura was drinking or eating something, she would have definitely choked.

"I believe, Sasuke Uchiha, that your ego is much too big for your own good."

* * *

**Well, that's it my dear readers. The chapter is done. Well, nothing really important happened, but I prefer it to be like this instead of things being rushed. I hope you all enjoyed reading it!**

**I have some news for you. I will update once a week from now on because I must concentrate on my studying too, because since now, I haven't really done it properly.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**

**P.s.- I know Sasuke's kind of OOC, but I don't care. xD Hope it doesn't bother you too much.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer- I don't own Naruto!**

* * *

**Mermaid Motel**

**~Chapter 12~**

* * *

After they finished eating their breakfast, the two headed to the car parked in front of the rustic restaurant. They weren't holding hands or anything. They both walked quietly beside each other, opening the doors and getting inside. "Where are we going next?" Sakura smiled as she fastened her seatbelt.

"Well" Sasuke began as he turned his head to face the beautiful woman sitting beside him while wearing his infamous smirk. "I thought maybe you want me to take you home and strip you from this dress. What do you say?"

"Gah!" The pinkette rolled her pools, annoyed. "Should have figured that out. But do you really want to bed a stranger? I thought that maybe today we can learn something more about the other."

"You didn't mind it last night."

"Hmf!"

"Hn."

Sakura watched him with the corner of her eyes and spotted him looking away from her. His key wasn't even in contact yet. What if he was expecting an answer before they departed? Sakura was confused to why he was acting in such a way. But then, reality hit her. He just wanted to finish what they had started last night and nothing more. He never intended to get to know her. The nice person she met at the breakfast was just an act, an act to lure her in his bed.

"You know what? Whatever…Let's just get it over with." She crossed her arms. Sasuke looked at her, amused, but didn't let it show.

The ride back in the city was quiet; the only thing filling the silent vehicle was a slow song coming from the speakers. The rosette began thinking about what Naruto told her last night about the raven haired. Why did she have to get her hopes up? Again? She held her palms together and started playing with her long fingers, frowning. She knew Sasuke wasn't the type to go on dates or stuff, but still, after inviting her to breakfast she believed she actually had a chance. Maybe even become his girlfriend. Sakura shook her head as she smiled bitterly. God, she was so naïve. She was aware of it, but couldn't help it.

Passing so many houses and grand mansions, they made their way downtown. Sasuke kept taking glances of the dancer every now and then. The thought of her not wanting to sleep with him hurt his feelings, well kind of, anyway. Nobody said no to him. He was like freaking Greek God of Beauty, Adonis! But earlier wasn't actually what it seemed. At least what he said.

Sakura was so caught in her thoughts, she didn't even pay attention to the road they were taking. So, as soon as the car pulled over, the apple-green eyed woman got out and slammed the door behind her. She then turned around and rested the heel of her palms on the edge of the bonnet, throwing the young Uchiha glares as he got out. "Let's just go already and get finished with it." she barked. Turning around, she started walking away from the car. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks. Standing in front of her in all its glory was a giant colorful sign on which she could read two words. Botanical Garden.

Two firm hands grabbed her exposed shoulders and a hot breath was fanning on the back of her neck. "Finish what, Sa-ku-ra?"

"I-" she was speechless. She turned her head to look at him and blushed in embarrassment. She acted stupid. Really stupid. The thing he said at the restaurant was probably a joke. Wrapping his arms around her shoulder, they walked passed the pristine white gates of the garden and headed towards the small hill that was covered entirely in multicolored flowers. Walking on the narrow gravel path, Sakura couldn't help but smile as the flowers' sweet perfume inundated her nostrils. Sasuke didn't even pay attention to the flowers or the surroundings. He only paid attention to her. She was the one he came to stare at. She disserved his fully attention, not those stupid plants. Arriving at a small elegant bench, the man took a seat while his date was running to the pond near the bench. He watched her grip the wooden railing and lean forward, admiring dozens of bloomed water lilies. She was acting so childish, Sasuke almost smiled. Indeed, she was different from all the women he met before.

"Sasuke-kun! Come and look at this big fish!"

Sasuke smirked. 'Sasuke-kun', eh? He got off the bench and went next to her, watching to where she was pointing with her index finger. Without doubt, he spotted a fish swimming freely near the surface, making its way through the lilies. "I've never seen this kind of fish before. Here it says that this specimen is from the lakes in the high mountains." He saw her turn her head to him. "I'm so glad you brought me here. I've never been in a botanical garden before. I mean, I know it's weird, but I couldn't. I usually-" Leaning forward, Sasuke managed to catch her lips in a fiery kiss. He heard her moan in his mouth and decided to deepen the kiss. He felt a pair of hands wrapping themselves around his neck, pulling him in. Grabbing her waist, he managed to pull her closer to him, filling the gap between them.

_Two hearts are beating together_

_I'm in love, whoo, I'm in love, whoo_

Cursing, the pinkette ended the kiss and whispered a barely audible sorry before she took the phone to her ear. Sasuke saw the woman hit her forehead before she shifted her weight from one leg to the other.

"Shit! The rehearsals. Ok, ok, I'll be there in 20 minutes. Yeah, I'll ask Sasuke-kun to give me a lift. Ok, see you there then. Bye." She looked up at Sasuke while grabbing his hands and holding them tight. "I must go. Rehearsals. Tsunade-sama will kill me if I don't get there in time." Sakura made the puppy face while leaning back and forth, hoping Sasuke will give in and take her there. He couldn't possibly resist the puppy face, could he?

"Hn." He walked away, dragging the woman to the awaiting car just outside the garden. Sakura grinned in satisfaction.

"You can come and see me practice, if you want." she winked as she poked his arm. "It's the same number I did last night."

"I'll skip that. Tonight, after the show, I'll make my number with you."

* * *

Walking inside the club, she saw Naruto at the bar, arranging some glasses and bottles of drinks, muttering something beneath his breath. Sakura saw the honey eyed woman heading to the bar, apparently yelling at the bartender. That was when Sakura figured out Naruto was imitating the woman, of course, without the boss seeing him.

"I mean come on! Who forgets to put out the fire in the oven?" she saw her boss slamming her fists into the counter, making the glasses on it fall. Wow, that woman was clearly no one to mess up with. "And with the freaking frying pan in it!"

"I just forgot!" Naruto snapped at her, making Tsunade roll her eyes. "I was in a super hurry to get here that I forgot!"

"And still, in your super hurriedness, praying not to be late, you had time to stop at the ramen stand and eat three bowls!"

"Baa-chan, I already confessed it was my fault! What do you want me to do more?" he threw his hands in the air, dramatically.

"It was your parents' house, God damn it! You burned anything that was theirs."

Naruto gasped in surprise. "Oh, don't you give me 'Oh, I am mad because it was your parents''" he said, venom in his voice. "You are angry because you lost your boxes of sake in the fire!"

"Ah!" Tsunade yelled as she turned on her heels and left to her office, fuming. Sakura couldn't help but giggle at the scene that happened before her. She took a seat at one of the high chairs in front of Naruto and placed her forearms on the counter.

"So that's what happened to your house. Sucks."

"Yeah, I know. Oh, and here you go." the blonde searched in his pockets and gave her the apartment's key. "I guess you will be heading home after the show." Sakura declined them and rested her head on her arms.

"I don't think I'll be coming home."

"Uchiha?" Naruto raised his brow. And as he saw Sakura biting her lip, he knew the answer. "How was the supposed date? I bet it wasn't even romantic."

"Well, we went at a rustic restaurant on the hill for breakfast. Then he made a nasty comment and then we went to the botanical garden. That's it."

"Nasty comment, eh?"

"Yep. Well, it was mostly a joke, but whatever."

Silence.

"I'll punch the crap out of him." Sakura patted his shoulder.

"Sure you will."

* * *

Just as Sasuke said, they met after the show. Sakura was surprised to find Sasuke with his car. A different one. It was silver. And a Land Rover. The pink haired assumed they weren't going to his place. Getting in, she glided the window on the top of the bonnet to take a better look at the midnight sky and the starts what swam in it. "I heard that tonight at precisely 2 am there will be a meteor shower. It would be great if we saw it." Sasuke smirked, but said nothing. From where they will be, they should have no trouble in watching it. But he won't ruin the surprise and tell her.

After a 30 minutes drive outside the city, through the forest and over hills, they finally arrived. As soon as the car stopped, Sasuke turned his head to look at her, wanting to see if he managed to surprise her. He saw her opening the door and slowly sliding out of the car. She took a step on the wet grass and noticed that her heels were sinking in the ground. She bent over and got them off, holding them loosely in her hands. Sakura gazed over the scenery before she took another step, taking in a big breath of fresh air. She stared at the full moon as it rose higher on the horizon, covering everything, including herself, in thick layers of silver light. She walked over to the lake, which was not far away, and stepped into the cold, otherwise calm water. She closely examined the ripples her steps were making and smiled. Turning her head, she saw Sasuke staring at her, his hands shoved in his pockets, his head titled a little.

"This is amazing!" she gasped as she fully turned around. "You sure are full of surprises today."

The Uchiha watched her lift her head up to stare at the crystal clear sky, the pale moonlight caressing her soft skin. He saw her close her eyes before she started moving around slowly, doing some small pirouettes, her feet still in the water. The wind blew her curly bubble gum locks around her flawless face as she continued with her solo dancing. Sasuke took a step closer to her. Sakura looked stunning. The way she moved combined with the scenery made the onyx eyed man think she was actually a nymph of some kind. She looked as if she was not from this world. He noticed she opened her emerald pools and started taking small steps towards him, humming a sweet melody.

"Sasuke-kuunn" she purred as she came closer, extending her arm so he could grab it. As soon as he did so, he pulled her to him with all his force, resulting in both falling on the cold ground, Sakura on top of him. Their gaze was locked for several seconds before the dancer brought her face closer to his, brushing her lips against his. The kiss wasn't fiery, nor was it rough. It was gentle and sweet. It shocked Sakura that the man beneath her responded with the same tenderness. As soon as the need for air settled in, they both parted. The pinkette rolled off of him and laid next to him, holding his hand in hers. She saw him lean on his forearm, his body turned to face her. With his other hand, Sasuke grabbed her chin and brought her face to his, catching her lips in a passionate kiss. Sakura could feel her body burning as he kissed her and touched her.

Breaking the kiss, Sasuke rose from the ground and leaned over the woman's body, his hands lowering the straps of her dress. Sakura watched him as he took a breast in his experienced hand and started massaging it, while his mouth covered hers once again. His touches were so gentle, she could clearly sense a difference between then and last night. His lips moved and started placing butterfly kisses from her jaw, down her neck, until he reached her other breast. He took the rosy peek in his mouth, running his tongue over it. The action sent chills down Sakura's spine and she liked it. She buried her hands in his hair, playing with locks every now and then. She released load moans as the grip on his hair tightened.

"Sasuke-kun…" she whispered as she moved her body beneath him, arching her back. She demanded more. She felt Sasuke's mouth and hands leave her breasts to move her dress up. She looked at the starry sky, emptying her mind from any thoughts whatsoever. She heard Sasuke unzipping his pants, but chose to ignore it. Sakura felt his hands lowering her underwear, the chilly wind hitting the newly exposed skin. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she began thrusting in her, making her cry out his name. With hitched and uneven breaths, Sakura continued staring at the sky as the young Uchiha continued with his movements in her. She spotted a shooting star on the sky and smiled as beads of sweat rolled down her forehead. She closed her hazy eyes and made a wish, hoping for it to come true.

* * *

**I am truly sorry for making you wait for me to update, it's just that writer's block had decided to play with me and never left until last night. I am aware that the first part of the chapter sucks big time, but I tried rewriting it several times and finally gave up as I realized it's not getting any better. Hope you don't mind it. I must say that my favorite part was when they arrived at the lake. My inspiration for that part was Lana Del Rey's song 'Summertime Sadness'. You should definitely listen to it. ;)**

**Well, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter and will leave a comment :D**

**I will try to edit the first part when I will have time, but if it doesn't bother you, I will leave it like that.**

**Thank you!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer- I own nothing but the plot!**

* * *

**Mermaid Motel**

**~Chapter 13~**

* * *

"What do you mean she can't come?! She has to!"

Naruto took the phone away from his ear, preventing any permanent damage that Tsunade's voice could, even by accident, do to his sensitive organ. Rolling his eyes, he looked over his shoulder at the silhouette slowly moving under the purple covers. He sighed. "Well, she's sick. Her temperature is really high."

"I don't care! She MUST come! Finally, we're having a much greater audience than ever before and our star is missing. Do you know what will happen? People will say-"

"Frankly, I don't care what people say, baa-chan..." the blonde whispered, hoping not to disturb the dancer. "She's really sick. She threw up 3 times already." He frowned as he heard Tsunade snort on the other line.

"Have you considered the possibility that she's sick from drinking too much?"

"She didn't drink anything last night." 'She went out with that Uchiha' he continued in his mind. Sakura told him to keep it a secret that she's dating Sasuke. Well, he wouldn't call it dating. They had gone out for one day. But still, even though it disgusted him to do so, he promised not to tell anyone anything. When she came from the supposed date early that morning, she was already sweating and trembling. She assured him she was ok, and that it was just a mild cold, when in fact she knew it was something worse. Her face was terribly pale and her breathing wasn't normal. Sasuke was the one who brought her up to her apartment and explained to Naruto that her chills were due to the coolness of the night. He also made himself clear he will come to check on her later that day and will take matters into his own hands if Naruto wasn't able to take care of her properly.

The blonde closed his cerulean eyes as he was brought back to reality by Sakura's loud and violent coughs.

"Was that you?" the woman on the other line asked.

"No. That was Sakura. I'm surprised you managed to hear it. She's in the other room, under the covers."

"So she really is sick…" As the words arrived to his ear, the bartender felt like punching something.

"You actually doubted it?"

"You don't know how many girls said they were sick only to skip rehearsals and the show to hang out with their boyfriends…" Sighing and sipping from her drink, Tsunade continued. "I planned something special for tonight, but if she can't come to the rehearsals, oh well, we'll just do an older choreography that Sakura knows in case she feels better tonight."

"Yeah, you should do that." After hearing a high pitched sound coming from the kitchen, Naruto decided it was time to end the conversation and take care of his friend. "Gotta go, baa-chan. See you tonight." He was about to press the red button of his cell phone when he heard Tsunade's voice.

"Oy, Uzumaki! Actually you have to come earlier to help me with something. I'll give you a call."

Click.

Rubbing his eyes and throwing his cell on the sofa, he made his way to the kitchen. He took the metallic teapot off the fire and proceeded with pouring the reddish liquid in one big cup. Walking to her bedroom, Naruto took a seat on the edge of the bed, taking the silky cover off of Sakura's head.

"Drink this." he said, gently helping the rosette stand in a sitting position, her pink head resting on a pile of fluffy lavender pillows. "It will do you good." Sakura nodded weakly, slightly opening her tired eyes. Taking the hot cup in her burning hands and bringing it to her lips, she managed to take a small gulp before placing it in her lap.

"You know you don't have to do this, right?" Naruto eyed her worryingly, resting his hand on her forehead to check her temperature.

"Shut up." he whispered as his palm traveled to her flushed cheeks. "You are sick. Someone has to take care of you."

"But this is just a mere cold, or some kind of allergy. I don't require this treatment."

"Sakura, this isn't any allergy. Something isn't right with you. You threw up for God's sake!"

The jade eyed woman smiled bitterly. "You caught me." She closed her eyed and took a big breath of air. "I've been feeling sick for the past week, since I came to the club on heavy rain. But, I decided not to let it take over me. And the throwing up…" she looked up at him and easily spotted the concern written in his eyes. "Don't worry. It's not from some kind of violent or, I don't know, tropical disease. I've been having certain problems with my stomach for a long time now."

Naruto listened carefully to what the pinkette said and nodded, showing he understood the whole situation. After that there was a pregnant silence. That until the blonde got up and said he would go and fetch a wet towel. Sakura watched him go, her eyes never leaving the door through which her beloved friend disappeared. She smiled. He was so sweet and careful with her. He looked as if he was taking care of his sick baby sister and not a friend. Taking another sip from her lemon tea, Sakura wrinkled her nose as her taste buds came in contact with the hot, sour liquid. Feeling sleepy all of a sudden, she placed the cup on the nightstand and closed her eyes, the feeling of something wet and cold on her burning forehead being the last thing she remembered before she swam in the ocean of her dreams.

* * *

"Shit." the man muttered as he rested his elbows on the hard surface of the desk, massaging his temples. Since he got to work that morning, the only thing he managed to do was to think of her. It never happened to him before. His company's wellbeing was always his priority, that until he met her last week. And now that he had her, he couldn't help but think if she was right for him. I mean, he could continue that masquerade of his with Ino and, eventually, get married. Ino…she was still in her vacation in India with her colleague, Karin.

'What should I tell her? Should I give her a call and tell her about Sakura?' No. It would be far too soon. He needed to see if things between the two of them would get even better or at least stay the same. He smirked as he looked outside the wide window, shaking his head. He expected a little too much from their 'relation' after only a day of dating and two nights spent together.

Opening a drawer, he took out a relatively recent family photo, running his fingers over the glass towering the picture. He was sitting on pliable chair along with his mother and father. Mikoto had her arm around her younger son's neck, while his father was sitting on his knees near them, proudly holding a big rainbow trout in his hand. In the background he could see a calm lake and the thick green forest rising on the opposite shore. The photo was taken in May 2009 by his older brother, a year before his parents died in a car accident. They would usually go fishing or on field trips with other employers from the company and family friends and have the Annual Uchiha Inc Picnic, where they would organize all kind of competitions, from fishing to treasure hunt and barbeque.

Looking deeper into the drawer, he found another photo between files, this time one of him and his brother when Sasuke started his first day as co-CEO of the company. Hm… Itachi. Smirk. If it wasn't for him, he wouldn't have been able to talk to Sakura in the first place. If it wasn't for his game to make his little brother jealous, Sasuke wouldn't have been as determined as he was to get Sakura, to make her his. Though mentally, he thanked his brother. He would have never say it to his face and if it 'accidentally' slipped, he would have definitely denied it.

Looking at his wrist watch, he saw that it was almost 2 pm. Should he visit her now? Was she feeling any better? Putting the photos back from where he took them, he turned on his chair and sat up, then walked out of his office.

"Yukino." He stopped in his tracks to look at his brother's secretary sitting behind the desk. "Cancel all my meetings." He started walking again, making his way to the elevator.

"Um, Uchiha-sama? Your brother called just now. He said his plane will land at 8 o'clock. Will you be available to meet him? He said it was important."

Oh, so his brother was back from New York, eh? He would care less. Getting inside the elevator, he declined, the metallic door shutting before him.

* * *

Naruto grabbed his wallet and cell phone and sprinted out of the apartment, immediately locking the door, cursing as he failed to introduce the key in the keyhole. "Baa-chan told me she needed me earlier, but I never thought she wanted me to come this early!" Running down the stairs, he tripped twice over his own feet and almost fell down the staircase. "Fuck Tsunade, fuck this fucking stairs!" Opening the door to the apartment complex and getting outside, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. Frown. There, from the other side of the road, came the one and only Sasuke Uchiha, his hands casually shoved in his pockets.

"So, you actually came?" the blonde said as the raven haired stepped closer to him, wearing a fake smile on his whiskered face. "I thought you only said that to give me the impression that you actually care for her."

"I do." the other male said as he passed by him, opening the door.

"Hey Romeo." Sasuke jerked his head in the direction of the loud mouth, frowning. He saw Naruto throw him a set of keys. "Put them under the mat after you leave." Naruto smirked as he turned around and walked to his car. "Which will be pretty soon after you'll see she is in no state to jump you." he said to himself, not caring if the Uchiha could hear him.

* * *

She looked worse than she did that morning. Her face was completely flushed, beads of sweat running down her forehead. Sasuke took off his jacket and his shoes before he sat in the bed next to the pinkette, wrapping his arms around her hot body. He rested his chin on the top of her head as she moved closer to him, grabbing the material of his shirt and holding onto it as if she was holding onto her life. Sakura fluttered her eyes open and smiled as she sniffed his masculine scent.

"You came…"

His lips kissed her head as he closed his obsidian eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit."

A moment of silence came, a moment in which they both hugged and enjoyed each other's company, the only thing filling the room being the pinkette's coughs every now and then. The man caressed her back as he listened to her breathing, sighing. He felt responsible for her state. Maybe if he hadn't taken her to the lake last night and didn't have sex on the cold ground she would have been ok. Hearing her exhale deeply, he gazed down at her.

"Tell me last night actually happened. Tell me this isn't just a dream…"

Sasuke felt like smiling, but couldn't bring himself to actually do it. He kissed her forehead one more time before he answered. "It's not a dream."

Sakura smiled as she closed her eyes and slowly but surely drifted to sleep, leaving Sasuke watch over her. Trying to find a much more comfortable position, the young Uchiha shifted on the soft mattress, bringing himself even closer to the woman next to him. "Sweet dreams…" he whispered, resting his head on one of the many pillows as he closed his eyes, joining the dancer in a long slumber.

* * *

**Ok, I know many of you hate me for updating this late. I know I am. I won't be boring you with long explanations, so let's us concentrate on the chapter.**

**I loved writing it. Of course, in my head, it was meant to be very different and significantly longer, but I didn't have time to write it longer. I hope you enjoyed the small SasuSaku moment xD**

**Anyway, I don't know when I will be able to update, but I will try to do it next week.**

**Please consider leaving a review ;)**

**Oh, and thank you those who reviewed and read my story! What would I do without you?**

**P.s. – I am certain I have mistakes, but I will try and correct them later. I didn't get the chance to read it :)**

~**Sakura2cute4u**


	14. Chapter 14

**Standard disclaimer applied.**

* * *

**Mermaid Motel**

**Chapter 14**

* * *

A dark green Ford Mustang pulled over in front of a café, its owner slipping out of the vehicle and walking inside Yume's Coffee Place. Entering the said place, he went straight to the counter where a woman, aparently in her 20 awaited to take his order. "An Espresso." he simply said as he took some money out of the wallet and handed over to her. Waiting for his coffee, the man sighed as he took his hands to tighten his high ponytail. It was his everyday routine. The man somehow managed to convince himself he needed a big cup of his favorite coffee for him to have a good, not at all troublesome, day. After receiving his coffee, his dark eyes traveled around the café in hope of finding an empty table to sit at as he enjoyed the delicious taste of his espresso. However, in his search to find a table, he came across a blonde head at a table nearby. The person had his head resting on the cold marble surface, his fingers buried in his golden locks. Sighing, the man shoved a hand in his jean's pocket, holding the paper mug tight in the other.

"How troublesome…" he muttered to himself, making his way to the table where the seemingly depressed person sat. Not wanting to waste his voice on calling him, the man simply hit the blonde in the foot. He narrowed his eyes when the man didn't react. Closing his eyes and sighing, the pineapple head opened his mouth to speak. "Naruto."

"Huh?" the blonde raised his head from the table, his cerulean eyes meeting the ones of his friend. "Shikamaru?"

"What's wrong with you?"

"Absolutely nothing! My life is as pink as it could be." he said sarcastically, faking a smile.

Raising a brow, Shikamaru took a seat in front of the bartender and place the coffee cup on the table. "You better start talking, idiot, before I get bored and leave you in all your misery." The man saw Naruto stare at the paper mug before a sad smile appeared on his whiskered face.

"Can you believe that I'm so miserable I don't even mind you calling me an idiot?"

Gulp. "That ain't good."

"Well, I haven't had any good days for a while, to be honest."

"It can't be that bad, can it?"

Snort. "Wanna bet? But let me start from the beginning, 'kay?"

Naruto began telling him about his crush on Sakura and how she is too blind to even notice his feelings for her, though she has no problem in noticing those of that stupid Uchiha's. "First it was Itachi, and now his younger brother. They have this reputation of being notorious playboys, but still, Sakura doesn't want to listen. I, in the end had to accept it to make her happy, you know? But I don't want her to be hurt by that bastard." The blonde frowned. "Did I tell you that he's supposed to be in a fake relationship with a girl? His soon to be fiancée?" He saw Shikamaru shake his head and decided to continue. "I doubt that his relationship is fake. I bet he just said that to get Sakura in bed."

"Aha. So, that's why you're down? Because of one woman?"

"If it was only that…." the bartender sighed. "My house burned down and now I live with her."

"Ouch."

"Yeah, I know. I thought that maybe it will be fun, that maybe I could make her see what I feel for her. But for the past 2 days since I've been living there, there wasn't one day that Uchiha wouldn't be there." Naruto saw Shikamaru open his mouth to speak, so he raised his hand. "Hold on, there's more. Yesterday, when I was taking care of her –she's sick after going on a date with Romeo- baa-chan gave me a call to go and help her with something. So, I did. But before I could even get in the car to drive there, guess who was in front of the apartment complex?"

"Uchiha?"

The blue eyed man nodded. "That's right. He said he wanted to see her, so I gave him the keys to open the door and told him to hide them under the mat after he leaves, which I thought would be soon since she wasn't in any state to sleep with him. Ok, so I arrived at the bar where Tsunade waited for me with over 20 boxes of liquor ready to be moved in the basement." He touched his back. "My back still hurts." He then took his hand to his mouth to yawn. "You don't know how tired I am after moving those boxes and finishing my shift."

"Actually-"

"So after I finished my shift at 3 o'clock and went to Sakura's, ready to hug my bed to death, guess what I found?"

"What?" the man asked bored. 'God, how troublesome. I shouldn't have asked.'

"Sakura and Romeo sleeping together, all cuddled up."

The lazy bum narrowed his eyes as he saw Naruto's hurt expression. "You really like her…"

"Shikamaru, I've already passed that stage. I'm in love with her."

"Let me tell you something." the dark eyed man said as he rested his forearms on the table, leaning forward. "Love is troublesome. Too troublesome."

Smirk.

"That's why you don't have a girlfriend."

"I couldn't care less."

"Whatever you say. Anyway, I didn't finish telling you why this passed week was the shittiest in my entire life." Naruto looked down at the untouched cup of coffee. "Can I have a sip?"

"No."

"Bastard. So, last night, after I found them in bed, I went on the couch and tried getting some well deserved sleep. But, I couldn't bring myself to slumber. It felt awkward, you know, that teme being there with Sakura and stuff, so I decided to take a walk. At some point I felt I needed coffee, so I headed down to this place. When I first arrived here, it was 4:30 in the morning. I saw that they were opening up at 6, so I decided to sit on the mat and wait. I don't know how, but I fell asleep. When I woke up, I was surrounded by cops. It seemed that the owner thought I was some homeless guy and was afraid I might attack him if he tried moving me."

Shikamaru bit back a chuckle as he turned his head to look at something else than Naruto in hope he would, in the end, calm down. But the image of the blonde as a homeless beating the crap out of the owner was priceless.

"Ha ha, it is very funny, indeed." he said as he threw Shikamaru a glare. Hearing his friend's silent laughter, he slammed his fist on the poor table. "Will you let me finish? So, after trying to explain the cops I'm not homeless, I found myself in the police car, driven to the station to for them to run my name."

"Wow." the other man said, a wide smile still present on his lips. "You sure had a shitty week." He took the cup of espresso and held it high in the air before taking it to his lips for him to finally take a gulp from his desired drink. As his tongue touched the substance, Shikamaru noticed the fact that his 10 dollar coffee was cold. "Oh, so troublesome. Thank's, idiot, now I can't drink it."

"What?! Why is it my fault? You were the one who ignore it!" the blonde eyed the cup in his friend's hand before he licked his lips to moisturize them. "You should give it to me." Naruto saw Shikamaru get up from his seat and watched in horror as the man disposed of it. "That was quality coffee!" the blonde cried as he took his hands to his head and grabbed a handful of his spiky hair. "Why would you do that?"

"To make your day completely miserable. I shouldn't have asked what your problem was in the first place. Because of you, I wasted 20 minutes of my life and a cup of coffee." He turned around to leave when he heard Naruto's scream.

"The waitress could have warmed it for you!"

"Not the same taste."

* * *

The pinkette woke up that morning in an empty bed. Seeing it was 10 am, she assumed the man went home to get changed and go to work. But did he leave last night or in the morning? She remember feeling him next to her last night, but wasn't sure if he indeed was there or if it was only a hallucination produced by her high temperature. Either way, Sakura was happy. She felt considerably better and it was all because of her blonde flat mate.

'Speaking of Naruto, where could he be?'

Taking her cell phone from her nightstand, she dialed his number and called him. Strangely enough, he wasn't answering. She tried another couple of times before giving up. Maybe he didn't want to be found. Walking in the bathroom to take a short shower, she immediately went to the mirror. Grabbing a lock of her bubble gum hair, she took notice it was beginning to feel greasy. She definitely needed to shower. Stripping from her pj, she stepped inside the cabin and turned on the hot water, moaning as the droplets massaged her body. Ah, it felt so good. After washing her hair with the strawberry flavored shampoo and her body with her favorite mango shower gel, she stepped out, wrapping a white cotton towel around her slim body. Brushing her teeth and her long hair in the mirror, the woman hummed a melody that got stuck in her head for the past few days after hearing it in a cab on her way to work.

Suddenly, she heard a loud knock at the door. She frowned. Didn't Naruto take the key?

"Coming!" she shouted as she ran into her room and slipped a pink baggy dress on before she opened. She was expecting Naruto, or even Sasuke. She never would have guessed he would come and visit her. "Itachi-san." The woman smiled, inviting the man inside. However, he didn't leave his spot. Smirk.

"No hug?" he asked, pouting. Sakura laughed as she wrapped her arms around his torso, feeling how his strong arms embraced her slim figure. "I missed you." he whispered in her ear before he let go of her, entering the small apartment.

"Well, I've missed you too." She smiled. "Haven't seen you in the club for a long time." she stated as she closed the door behind her. "Was it because of me?"

"No." he said as he took a seat on the comfortable sofa. "I was in New York. I had some business there."

"Secret business?" the pinkette winked as she sat next to him.

"Of national importance."

"Care to share?"

"Well, I wanted my brother to hear it first, but I guess I can tell you. And about Sasuke, how is he? Have you heard anything from him?"

"Um…" Sakura bit her lower lip as she eyed the coffee table, a fade shade of pink present on her cheeks. "I don't know if he told you, but we are a couple."

Itachi raised his brows, pretending to be surprised. "Really? Do you know about the thing with Ino?"

"Oh, yes, Sasuke told me about it, you know, in his own way. Not too many details, but enough for me to understand." Sakura's gaze landed on the clock standing proudly on the lime wall. She gasped and immediately stood up. "I have to take my medication."

"Were you sick?" the older Uchiha asked concerned as he watched Sakura vanish into the kitchen.

"Still am. Yesterday was worse." He heard her yell. "But it seems that I managed to overcome it easily." Coming back, she brought a tray with tea with her. "Do you want some? It's lemon tea." She asked as she placed the tray on the table.

"No, thank you. So, what do you think about my brother? Is he a good lover?"

"I guess so. We only dated once, but we keep talking. He took me to have breakfast to a restaurant on the hill, and then we went to the botanical garden. It was so fun. He was so sweet; I didn't think he had it in him. And that night, he took me to a lake. It was definitely dreamy."

Itachi listened carefully to what the dancer said and smiled. What he just heard surprised even him. It was as if he had heard about the old Sasuke, long before their parents have passed away. Taking Sakura's hand in his, he leaned forward. "Those were the places he and I, along with our parents used to hang out almost every weekend." He watched the rosette as she widened her emerald eyes, clearly surprised. "If he took you there" Itachi continued, grinning "then it means he obviously has powerful feelings for you."

* * *

**So, what do you think? I hope you enjoyed reading it and will leave a comment *wink* So, Itachi's back in the scene. What do you think he wanted to tell Sakura before she started talking about her and Sasuke? If it wasn't business related, than what? You'll find out in the next chapter, which should be up soon.**

**Oh, and thank you guys for all your wonderful reviews :D Also, to clear any confusion, Sakura isn't pregnant. I said in the last chapter that she caught a cold while running in the rain and that her nausea was because she has stomach problems. So, sorry, no pregnancies for now.**

**Sorry for any mistakes!**

**~Sakura2cute4u**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey guys. I know you all hate me for not updating for several months, so first I must apologize. I started this chapter right after updating the previous one, but lost inspiration at some point. Plus, school started and being a senior is pretty messed up. Everyone is expecting you to know everything and it's pretty stressful. **

**Anyway, this is my present for all of you, since Christmas was last week. I wish you all a year full of inspiration and accomplishments! Hopefully it will be like that :D**

**P.s.- what's written in **_italics_ **are flashbacks**!

**Disclaimer- I don't own Naruto!**

* * *

**Mermaid Motel**

**~Chapter 15~**

* * *

"Thank you for giving me a lift, Itachi-san. It is really nice of you." the pinkette said as she flashed a smile in the man's way before she got out of the vehicle. She then turned around and gently knocked at the window, the Uchiha having no other choice but to roll it down. Sakura just stood there, beaming, making Itachi crack a smile. "And congratulations, again!"

"Thank you." he replied as he leaned towards her. He saw her turn around to leave and was about to drive off when the woman appeared at the window again, her palms now pressed hard together. He raised a brow, giving her the signal to start talking. He saw her grin grow fonder.

"I'm so happy for you!" she squealed as she clapped her hands. The man started laughing. God, he loved this woman. She was so warm and friendly, and at times so childish, he couldn't help but adore her. His brother was definitely lucky to have her. And let us not forget that he was the one that made this happen. He was the genius that managed to bring these two people together. Exhaling, he began thinking of the possibility to say it in his speech at his brother's wedding, if Sasuke was smart enough to keep her longer than a week.

"Thank you, Sakura." He closed his eyes and sighed. "If Sasuke would be just half as enthusiastic as you are, that'll be great."

Frown. "Why wouldn't he be?"

"Because he is Sasuke." They both started laughing lightly as they thought of the constipated expression Sasuke would wear as soon as he hears the news. Itachi definitely needed to take a picture and frame it, and maybe someday show it to his pink haired nephews and nieces. Or why not make copies of it and send it to their friends and employees as Christmas cards?

"Anyway, good luck! Let me know how it has been." Sakura winked as she turned on her heels and entered the club, from times to times looking over her shoulder at the Uchiha. Making her way through the lobby, she heard the loud music coming from the main room and smiled. It had been just two days, two days since her last performance and was already missing it. 'It's great being back.' she thought as she opened the double doors and walked inside the large room. She spotted Tsunade sitting at a table not far from the stage with a glass of whisky in her hand, watching the girls' performance. Deciding not to bother her mentor until the rehearsal was over, the dancer took a seat at the bar. Her apple-green eyes rested on the stage where the girls were moving in ways the pinkette hasn't came across yet. The choreography was simple, yet eye-catching. Come to think of it, the music playing in the background was foreign to her too. Very slow, very sensual, very similar to 'Mermaid Motel'.

"All right, ladies!" the blonde woman said as she headed towards them, the sound of her high heels as they came in contact with the neat surface filling the room. "It's a little better than yesterday, but I expect that you will be able to execute it perfectly by Friday night." Hearing someone moving behind her, Tsunade jerked her head to look over her shoulder. "Sakura." she smiled. "Already feeling better?"

"Yes, definitely, Tsunade-sama."

"Do you think you're up for tonight's show?"

"Sure am." the dancer said, confident.

"Good." Turning her attention back to the other dancers, the honey eyed woman clapped her hands, saying that they'll have a 20 minutes break. Then, she took a seat at the nearest table, the woman inviting her favorite girl to join her. "I'm glad you could make it." she confessed. "Yesterday, after seeing you weren't the one to perform, most of our costumers left before the first show even ended." Sigh. "Anyway, tonight we're performing 'Dirty Laundry' live, you being the lead, of course."

"Ok." Sakura nodded as she moisturized her lips. "What about the dance from earlier?"

"Oh, it's for Friday night." Wink. "I'm planning to make you the star of our club!" Tsunade squealed, excited. Looking at the shocked expression the pinkette was wearing, she cracked a smile. Taking her by the hand, she continued. "People adore you, Sakura. I don't know if it was because of the fiery 'Mermaid Motel' show or because of your spectacular voice, but I want to exploit your potential. You, my dear, could make my club become the very best."

Blushing madly at the compliments thrown at her, Sakura waved her hand in the air. "My voice may be special, but I don't believe it's enough to do that."

The blonde woman tilted her head a few degrees, smiling sweetly. The dancer before her was too modest. "I'm guessing you didn't read the newspapers." Getting up, Tsunade turned around and walked towards the backstage, leaving the poor dancer confused.

"Newspapers? Is there something written about us?" Sakura asked, highly interested.

"Read yesterday's newspaper and you'll see."

* * *

Getting out of his car, the raven haired man sighed at the sight of the mansion he used to live in before him. A melancholic smile made its way to his lips as he looked for his father's car and found it was not where he used to park it and that his mother was not in the garden anymore, singing to her flowers as she watered them generously. It seems that the words Sakura said to him hours earlier had affected him in some way. He never actually thought of his parents for quite some time. Being too busy all the time, he never actually had the chance to sit down and dedicate some hours to rememorizing all the wonderful moments the four of them went through together.

Walking on the gravel road towards the entrance, he thought of Sasuke and how their parents' death affected him, how it transformed him in the emotionless person he was that day. So hearing that he actually took the pinkette to their places melted his heart. He thought that his little brother had pushed all the memories and the incident in the past, locked them in a secret place, never to be looked at again. Perhaps he was wrong.

"_Itachi-san?" Sakura shyly started as she placed the cup of tea back on the trace. "How was Sasuke-kun before?"_

_Itachi nodded, understanding what the dancer was referring to. He didn't even know how to start or what to say._ _He smiled sadly._

"_Well, he was certainly very different from how he is today."_

Taking the key from his pocket, he opened the large door and stepped inside. Looking around, he found no photo or anything that belonged to their parents. He sighed. Maybe they were still in the basement, covered in mounts of dust.

"_I can imagine" the pinkette confessed "but…how was he like? I'm very curious."_

He heard some steps coming from the stairs and decided to make himself comfortable. He took a seat on the crème sofa in front of the fireplace and waited for his brother to arrive.

"Itachi?"

And there he was, wearing a pair of shorts and a towel around his neck. Itachi raised his brows.

"Jogging? Isn't it too late?" He saw Sasuke look at his wrist watch with a blank expression before replying.

"It's 2 pm." Taking a seat on the chair next to the sofa, he turned his attention to his sibling. "What are you doing here?"

Smirk. "You missed the meeting with me yesterday." He sighed and ran his fingers though his long hair. "I thought Yukino told you it was important."

"She did." was his brother's dull response. "I was busy."

"Yeah, I heard." Itachi winked, leaving Sasuke confused. Clearing his throat, he continued. "Yowr wittle girlfwiend told me."

The younger Uchiha didn't know whether to laugh or feel disgusted because of his brother. What was with that sick pronunciation? Was he trying to be funny or scare him? Was he secretly a three year old princess and the onyx eyed didn't know? Well, he had to admit, it fitted his brother. He always considered him inferior because of his comic attitude. Or was it jealousy?

Sasuke massaged his temples as he repeated his brother's words in his mind, a small smile crawling on his lips. Hah. 'Your little girlfriend told me. Very funny.'

Stop.

Silence.

Glare.

"What?!"

He saw his brother nod. "Yes, Sakura told me you were with her yesterday. God, Sasuke-chan, I didn't know you had it in you!" The older Uchiha got up from the comfortable sofa and patted his brother's shoulder. "I'm so proud! But make sure you take good care of her, ok?"

Sasuke was still stunned of what he just heard. He frowned. "What do you mean she told you?"

"Oh, I visited her in the morning." Itachi said as he made his way to the kitchen, his brother taking his example and going after him. Arriving in the kitchen, he opened the refrigerator's door. "Do you have any ice tea? I'm like a fish in the sun."

"You visited her?" the younger Uchiha asked as he rested against the marble counter, crossing his arms tight against his bare chest. It was crystal clear that Sasuke wasn't pleased with what Itachi told him.

"Yes, little brother. I visited her." He took out a bottle of ice tea before he closed the door. "I knew where she lived since the karaoke bar incident." Turning around, he went at the table and took a seat before opening his bottle. "I was the one who took her home, remember?"

"Quit the long talk, Itachi. Tell me what the fuck were you doing there."

Pretending he didn't hear the last sentence and the wonderful word his brother just used, the co-CEO started playing with the bottle's label. He then looked up at his brother, a serious expression taking the place of the carefree he had seconds earlier.

"I'm getting married, Sasuke."

"?!"

* * *

**This is it for now. I hope you enjoyed reading it, even if it becomes boring at some point. The chapter meant to be longer, but New Year's came and I needed to finish it here. Can you believe I spend most of my evening writing it and rewriting it and double-checking it? **

**Anyway, I promise I will update as fast as I can –you will probably have it before the end of the week-.**

**Thank you for reading and reviewing!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Sorry it took so long to update. I want to thank those who reviewed! I love you guys :D And don't worry, I won't give fanfiction up too soon *wink***

**Standard disclaimer applied.**

* * *

**Mermaid Motel**

**~Chapter 16~**

* * *

"I'm getting married, Sasuke."

The youngest of the Uchihas couldn't believe his ears. He simply stood there, eyes wide as they can get, thinking of all the questions in the world he would ask his brother. Was he actually getting married, or was it just another one of his jokes, like that one time with the engagement rings? How come he was getting married? And with whom? Was that the reason why Itachi visited his lover in the morning? Was she somehow involved in this matter? Sasuke narrowed his eyes as more questions regarding Sakura and his brother's wedding emerged in his mind. In spite of all the anxiousness roaming inside him at that moment, Sasuke managed to ask his brother one question.

"What do you mean you are getting married?" his voice distant, low. He saw he definitely caught Itachi by surprise with his question. The younger Uchiha knew he probably sounded silly, but he needed to know whether this thing was real or not. Or was he simply using this as a strategy to stop talking about his meeting with the pinkette?

"I am getting married." Itachi arched his brows. "Is it that difficult for you to comprehend?" he eyed him suspiciously as he continued playing with the bottle's label. Did his brother doubt his intention to settle down and start a family?

"Who is she? Do I know her?" Sasuke asked boldly. He knew Itachi was lying. He must be. Why? Because he didn't mention he was dating someone. Sasuke never saw him with a woman or ever heard his brother talk about one for years. Well, except Sakura. But that wasn't the case because Sakura would have told him. Plus, all this wedding thingy was just a hoax.

"Does pink hair and green eyes ring the bell to you?" Itachi replied, grinning. He wanted to see Sasuke's reaction to that. And oh, it seemed he was right earlier about him wearing a constipated expression. However, the thing that captured Itachi's attention was the murderous look in his brother's eyes. Itachi couldn't help but smile. He actually cares about her.

As soon as he saw the charcoal eyed man moving from the counter and heading towards him with tightened fists, Itachi raised his arms defeated. "Ok, ok, I was joking." He saw his brother stop in his tracks and return to his place. He shivered. Sasuke had knives instead of eyes. "Tsk, tsk. You don't know a joke even if it hits you in the face."

"Joke about something like this one more time and I promise you will have to postpone the wedding for afterlife!" Sasuke hissed, giving Itachi a look that pretty much said I'm-watching-you-so-try-doing-this-crap-again-and-you-will-regret-it-deeply.

"About the wedding or Sakura?" the older brother winked, receiving a warning scowl from Sasuke. He knew he was pushing things too far, but enjoyed every minute of it. Annoying Sasuke was his guilty pleasure, after all. "Anyway, back to serious business. I came here to invite you to my wedding."

Sasuke almost chuckled. "So, you're actually getting married."

"No, Sasuke. I took a flight from New York just to come and say 'hi'." After Itachi observed Sasuke took notice of the sarcasm in his voice –which he couldn't believe- he sighed and made sign for his brother and partner to take a seat next to him. Of course, Sasuke ignored him and crossed his arms, waiting for him to start talking. The older Uchiha rolled his eyes. "As you wish."

Itachi began telling him that two years ago, right after their parents' death when he was on a business trip in New York, he met a woman that worked for 'New York Times'. "Her name is Caroline Hatsuki." He explained to his brother that her father was Japanese, but settled in America after seeing that his business was blooming and that her mother was the typical American housewife. He admitted that Caroline was younger than him with 4 years, but that didn't matter. "I love her, Sasuke. More than anything in the world." he confessed. "She was there for me after our parents died and helped me overcome it. You know how much I changed after their death. I was practically dead inside until she helped me feel alive again."

Sasuke listened to his brother carefully, nodding in agreement. He understood how this one single woman managed to change him, to make him feel something he thought he would never feel again. He knew Sakura for barely a couple of weeks, when he met her at his birthday party. Well, 'knew' was a strong word for him to use. He practically knows nothing about her life, her past, her dreams… But she somehow made him feel again. And he was eternally grateful for that.

Itachi noticed a small smile was blooming on his brother's lips and sighed in relief. He could certainly put a finger on what Sasuke was thinking at that very moment. "She told me, you know?"

The raven haired jumped a little as his brother's voice brought him back from his rail of thoughts. He narrowed his eyes, confused. "Told you what?" It was almost a whisper.

"About the garden, the lake, the restaurant." He smiled softly. "About how careful you treat her, how you tease her…How you look in her eyes with love and not lust. How you stayed by her side when she was sick, even thought she isn't sure if it was real or just a dream." Itachi stopped a little, seeing how what he said affected his brother, who was looking at the floor, apparently embarrassed. "She knows about the accident, Sasuke. She knows the places you took her are important to you. I visited her to hear whether you two managed to get together. From what I've heard and seen, she cares deeply about you, brother. Don't be a fool and break her heart. She might be just what you need to make you yourself again."

It took a while before Sasuke managed to reply to what his brother just said, but not by using words. He sat up from the counter and went to his brother who followed Sasuke's example and got up.

Itachi was stunned to feel his little brother's arms wrapping themselves around him, pulling him in a warm and friendly embrace. But as soon as he was in his brother's arms, he knew the embrace was true and full of gratitude. He smiled as he remembered Sakura asking him earlier that day what his brother was like before the accident. He didn't manage to explain it to her, since he was leaving, but if she was there, he would have said "He was like this".

* * *

Since Sakura was stuck at the club, rehearsing for the 'Dirty Laundry' show, she wasn't able to storm through the city in the search of yesterday's paper. And seeing as Tsunade decided not to give it to her, she had to rely on Naruto to bring it. But no matter how much she called him, the blonde failed to answer every single time. Either he was busy with something or he was with someone and didn't want to be disturbed. So, hoping with all her heart for him to receive it and grant her simple wish, she sent him a message. But that was two hours ago. And he still hadn't replied.

Taking a water break, Sakura moved to the bar to get herself something to drink. And as she proceeded to drink the whole bottle of sparkling water, she heard hard steps coming towards her. Turning around, she grinned when seeing her beloved roommate. Placing the empty bottle on the counter, Sakura waved at Naruto and in return earned a sincere smile from him.

"What are you doing here? You should be in bed!" he lectured her as he took her slim body in a loving embrace –a little too loving, if you asked Sakura.

"You sound like my mother!" she joked as hit him playfully. "I was feeling considerable better and felt like coming here. And all of this thanks to you, Straighty!" Sakura winked as she ruffled his golden locks.

The bartender's grin suddenly disappeared. She was using that sick nickname again.

"I'm joking!"

The dancer sat down on the high chair in front of the bar, resting her chin on the heel of her palm as she placed her elbow on the counter. She turned her head to Naruto and fluttered her eyes. Soon, she pouted as she took notice of the miserable expression on her roommate's face. "What's wrong with you?"

He looked into her big emerald eyes and sighed. How could he tell her she was the reason he was feeling down? So, instead, he just faked a smile and waved his hand around. "I was just thinking about my parents' house and the stuff I lost in the fire." He lied.

"Oh…"

For a couple of minutes there was an awkward silence in which each of them stared in different directions. Sakura thought a little what to say to comfort him, but nothing came in her mind. So, instead, she decided to leave this subject.

"So? Where's the paper?"

Frown. "What paper?"

"Yesterday's paper? I sent you a message, haven't you got it?"

"Oh, my phone's on silent." He smiled and scratched the back of his head. "Haha, I guess I didn't feel it vibrate, sorry."

Sigh. "It's alright."

Sakura saw Naruto get up and pass the counter. She also heard him mutter 'I wonder…' as he looked under the counter, apparently looking for something.

"You said you needed yesterday's paper?"

"Yeah?"

"I found it!" he said, holding the news paper high in the air. Sakura immediately snatched it from him and began looking through it. She gasped in shock as she saw that pages 4 and 5 were full of pictures of her and the other dancers. Naruto took a seat next to her to see what was so interesting-or shocking- that made the pinkette gasp. His cerulean eyes were staring at the picture of her colleague as she was spun around by the other dancers. "Oh my god!"

"Yeah, I know!" Sakura squealed as she jumped on her seat, unable to control her excitement.

_**Explosive show at Midnight Rose**_

_Last night, at 10 pm in Midnight Rose, a new star was born! According to the club's manager, Tsunade, the star's name is Sakura Haruno, a 23 year old dancer who has done her debut as the lead singer in last night's show entitled "Mermaid Motel", a provocative show full of naked skin and grace, towered by the mesmerizing voice of an exotic mermaid. Though she has an amazing body that could compete with top models', that wasn't the reason why many men and women found her extraordinary. It was her voice. If you thought the American singer, Christina Aguilera, had an amazing voice, then you should listen to the voice of this mermaid. You will inevitably fall in love with her._

_Also, it is good to know that we will be hearing more of Sakura Haruno. She will be singing at Midnight Rose every night, delighting us with songs that will forever remember us of her fiery debut show. _

Both Naruto and Sakura opened their mouths, shocked. They wanted to say so much, but couldn't possibly form a single word. Sakura was about to cry out of joy. It was for the first time in her life that she was appreciated for something, and she loved it. It made her feel confident. She was _the_ _mermaid_, for Christ's sake! They compared her to Christina Aguilera!

"Congratulations, Pinky!" Naruto shouted, hugging his friend to the point that she could no longer breathe.

"What's with all this shouting?!" Tsunade threw her hands in the air, dramatically as she spotted her dancer and her nephew at the bar. "I can't even concentrate on making the report!"

Naruto let go of the pinkette and turned around on the chair, pointing towards the blonde woman while looking unimpressed. "You don't do the reports! I do."

Tsunade saw Sakura with the news paper in her hands and smiled. But before she could address the girl, she noticed Sakura taking her phone out of her pocket, rapidly forming a number.

"Sasuke-kun!" she heard her say as she got up from the bar and ran towards the backstage. Suddenly, the honey eyed woman's smile disappeared, a disgusted expression taking its place. She saw Naruto sitting on the chair, his eyes landed on the empty stage, apparently disappointed. She decided to have a small chat with him.

"Naruto!" she began strong, catching Naruto's attention. "What's going on between Sakura and that Uchiha boy?!"

* * *

**So, this is it for now! I hope I'll be able to update soon, since school starts next week and I won't be able to write too much. **

**What do you think about this chapter? I know, it's still short, but I promised to update. I plan on making my chapters longer-I'm curious to see if I'll be able and not give into temptation of finishing them as soon as they reach 2000 words-**

**Please review!**

**Thank you**

**P.s.-sorry if there are any mistakes, I will correct them sometime…**


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